Take It In Stride
by That Engineer
Summary: The road to healing is never an easy one, and Lynn would be the first to tell you that the past two years have been no easy picnic. Thankfully, she still has her brother and friends to guide her out of the biggest pitfall in her life. At the same time, Lincoln has to deal with the challenges of being hours away from that which he loves most. Sequel to What Is A Person Worth.
1. Two Years Is A Long Time

**A/N: After much consideration on how this plot could turn out, I've finally decided to get started on the sequel to my NSL story. I was originally going to wait until one of my other current works was finished, but Syn has no end in site and I'm on a break from Roomie. Plus, this story has been clogging my thought process for _months, _so I need to do something with it or else I won't get anything done. ****Now, the story won't be like the prequel; it's not gonna be like London has Fallen where the plot is the same but on a wider scale. Instead, it will largely follow the life of a certain brunette who has yet to fully face her demons (with her siblings and friends to help her on her journey towards peace). Will this be as popular as Worth? Not likely, because it's not NSL lol. But it'll definitely be worth the read.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

"So, what brings you to my office today?" A masculine voice spoke, an air of professionalism radiating from his tone.

"Dude, this is your room, not an office. And as you know, it's the same old song and dance..." A feminine, tomboyish voice replied. "That bitch inside my head is at it again..."

"You could at least pretend it's an office." The masculine user now sounded much younger. "Amazingly, it's only been 2 weeks since our last meeting; which happened almost a week before the last one. Were you doing anything that made her come back?"

Silence filled the void before the woman spoke again. "Might have caught a glimpse of a football game for a couple minutes..." She spoke with a light growl.

"_Minutes?..._" The man spoke in a tone that indicated he didn't believe her.

"Ok ok, it was an hour!" The feminine entity admitted, throwing her hands in the air. "I couldn't help it; my favorite team was playing."

"So, I'm guessing you were enjoying yourself until you started getting flashbacks of _'the incident', _then she said something you didn't like, which _then_ made you start arguing with yourself?" The male surmised.

"...Actually, it was about the time me and Lincoln swapped around during football season when mom signed him up for it," She waved a hand dismissively "But close enough. How'd you figure that?"

"Lynn, we've been talking about this for 2 years now. Plus, you start spacing out whenever you think long and hard about what happened." The other teen paused as a smile formed. "Annnnnd Lincoln told me everything before you got here."

Lynn rolled her eyes, giving a light huff as she rolled onto her stomach in the lounging chair she lied in to face the boy, who sat in another chair just a few feet from hers. "Of course he would Clyde. You two are practically brothers."

"Yeah, but you're also my client." Clyde scratched the back of his head with the eraser of his pen. "Plus, you've told me like, what? 20 times already about how you end up going through these motions?"

Lynn glowered a little. "Sometimes I wonder if I ought to get a _real _therapist..."

"Well, our talks have been less frequent, so that's gotta count for something." The African American spoke with great optimism.

"Yeah, but I want this all to just be done with..." Lynn moved her arms forward to rest her chin on her hands. "I haven't done sports in two years; but I get these urges, you know? It's what I've done long before that whole luck bullshit started, and..." She bit her lip as memories of her horrid behavior started to flood her mind, her eyes becoming slightly wet as she easily recalled the night Lincoln ran out on the family after being driven to his limit.

_"Aw, is the baby gonna cry? Weeeeeeeeak! Those were my favorites episodes, especially the time you told bro the truth and sacked him in the balls for being a little bitch." _Lynn's gaze formed into a hardened glare as a voice much like her own echoed in her head, but with a more sinister and sadistic undertone.

_"Look whose talking, cunt..." _Lynn growled inwardly.

"You're afraid of becoming a gloating jerk like you were last time, so you're avoiding sports altogether to make sure that doesn't happen?" Clyde guessed, studying her facial expressions.

Lynn only nodded as she focused her glare to the floor, seemingly sinking further into her seat. "Yeah..."

"Ok, but there are ways you can enjoy yourself without letting it go to your head, even when it comes to gloating. Last night, I whooped Lincoln and Conner's butts so hard on Battlefield that I did a victory dance for a few minutes." Clyde had to stifle his laughter as he recalled what came next. "Conner was pretty pissed about it and called me a hacker, but instead of goading him on, I just told him to chill. Well, actually I said 'Chill the H out'; my dads don't like me swearing at others." He crossed his legs. "It's fine to gloat, as long as you don't oversell it though." The nerdy teen frowned a bit. "We ran into _a lot_ of T-Baggers..."

Lynn snorted a little; the image of Clyde showboating, more so cussing, being oddly hilarious. "For you, gloating might be fine. But for me..." She frowned once more. "I don't exactly trust myself to _not _go nuts. Heck, I even had Lucy not spout her typical mythological crap around me when I do stop talking like I'm crazy."

Clyde bit his cheek. "You don't really think you'd off the rails _that _easily, do you?"

Lynn served him a half-lidded stare. "I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't!" She rolled onto her back. "Ever since I stopped doing sports, my grades have been the best they've been in _years. _ I ain't no straight-A student like Lisa (though I get A's in math), but B's and C's are yards better than just D's; especially with all the stupid subjects I gotta take as '_requirements_'." She stated the last word sarcastically with air quotes before pointing a digit at the ceiling. "Trust me when I say this: it's _a lot _of relief off my chest that I don't have to ask my 6 year old of a brainiac for help as often."

"And you got first place in the state math bowl at one point." Clyde pointed out. "But let me ask this Lynn: have you been happy with the way things have been going so far?"

Lynn pursed her lips. She seemed content (more or less) with ditching sports for a while, having absolutely no interest in potentially repeating the bad history she was well versed in; didn't stop her other persona from constantly berating her for other things like not being there for her siblings or being too much of a pussy for avoiding the activity that made her stand out. Lynn didn't even flick to the sports channel during fights over the TV remote, something that was very much noticed by her other siblings. They all thought Lynn was essentially giving up on the dream she had been working so hard for, even having thoughts to arrange a meeting with Clyde's therapist without her consent. The former athlete eventually dropped this little rant when she got tired of all the supposedly stupid questions:

"Would you guys quit being-" She really wanted to say the P-word, but had to be mindful of the little ones. "Babies and suck it up? This is the new me, I'm not touching sports ever again, and no amount of crying will make me change my mind; so deal with it."

And there were no more discussions after that. Lynn continued to just be a regular girl with her only focus being to pass high school as swiftly ws possible upon entry; as well as maintain a decent social standing unlike her first week of middle school.

The brunette sighed through her nose. "I guess not..." She rested her hands behind her head. "Don't get me wrong, I was fine with how things were going. I even started being more supportive of my sisters and brother with their aactivitiesand whatever else they do since I got all the time in the world." Lynn frowned to herself. "Felt like I was a total bitch after I realized how busy Lincoln was when he did it...and on top of that, I started feeling like..." She dropped off again, unsure what to say next.

"Like?" Clyde pressed.

"Like I was, empty? Not the kind of empty you get when you're starving, but I felt like I was missing something..."

Clyde narrowed his eyes as he hummed in thought. "Do you believe that you're starting to miss sports in general?"

Lynn shrugged. "I guess. Sometimes I'd start eyeing people in my class playing volleyball, football, or whatever; then stop when I realized I was staring. Then while channel surfing, I'd flick on live coverage of some game that happened to be going on. Usually, I'd just watch something else, but I've started to get hooked on the action again." Her face scrunched up a little. "Then Ms. Snooty Turd in my head would start yammering on about how 'we' used to own it all before Lincoln did..." Lynn growled a little, her body tensing up as she shook a little in anger. Clyde flinched out of habit, scooting his chair back slightly in case she went into a rage. "Whatever! She keeps making up shit excuses so I can get mad at him; but he had nothing to do with what happened, because I did that to myself!"

Clyde watched as the older teen breathed hot air through her teeth. Even after all this time, he was still a bit fearful of her aggression. _"At least it's not as bad as the first 7 times."_ The nerd reminded himself as he scooted closer to her. Placing a calm hand on her shoulder, "Lynn, remember your breathing exercises."

The brunette continued to seethe for a few more seconds before closing her mouth, her breaths becoming slower and more even as she simmered down. "Now, it's clear to me that you aren't really happy with your life in spite of the changes you made for yourself. From what I remember, and Lincoln even said this too, sports really gave you a lot of joy and pride. Yeah, maybe _too much_ pride, but you remind me of Lincoln when he felt he didn't have any sort of talent."

The boy leaned back in his chair, casting a lazy arm over the side. "He felt he pressured to try and win an award or something because you girls had many achievements under your belt, while he did nothing but cheer from the sidelines. When we talked about it, I kept trying to get him to do something he liked, instead of trying to copy his sisters so he could make something on his own." Forming a toothy smile, " Now he's into art so much that he's doing commissions. Speaking of which, I ought to check if he's done with mine."

"What's your point Clyde?..." Lynn asked.

"What I'm saying is, do stuff that makes you happy. If it's sports, then you should try it." He scratched his hair with the eraser of the pen. "I don't think you'll do anything with baseball though."

"No...I still can't even look at it without almost going into 'Lucy Mode'..." Lynn shifted her position a little. "It was hard enough telling Margo why I won't pick it up again..."

"Does anyone else know what _really _happened?"

The brunette shook her head. "Aside from you, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby, no one knows a thing; or if they do, they just think it was a typical family issue. And I believe we all prefer to keep it that way."

Before Clyde could answer, a knock was heard at the door. "Clyde sweetie, dinner's ready!" Howard shouted.

"Coming dad!" Clyde answered back before addressing Lynn. "Guess that's all for today. Um..." He paused as the Loud moved her legs over the side. "You can stay if you want. I think my dad cooked a roast."

Lynn smiled a little, as she stood up. "Thanks, but I'll pass. Dad's got meatballs in the oven tonight, and I'm hankering for one of my subs."

"Well, at least let me be a gentleman and show you the door." Clyde smirked a little, placing his notebook by his desk before getting up. "I gotta say though, you're pretty strong Lynn. I mean," He gace a brief pause to fix his thoughts. "You're already _physically_ strong, but I mean mentally. If I had to go through what you've been dealing with for two years, I don't even think _Dr. Lopez_ could help." He added as he walked past her and into the hallway.

Lynn halted her movement at this, her cheeks emitting a faint red hue as her eyes glued to Clyde while he passed her. When they first started these amateur therapy sessions, Clyde was initially some inches shorter than she was, resulting in her always having to look down at him. However, now that he was in the middle of a growth spurt, his height had quickly caught up over the months. He was _just _about eye level with her now; or dare she say, a wee bit taller. That wasn't the only thing that changed about Clyde though; his hair was cut a little shorter now, he wore glasses with square-shaped lenses that were bigger than is old pair due to his growth, his voice would occasionally break if he laughed or yelled too much, and there were small amounts of stubble around his chin the top of his lip, indicating growing facial hair. Aside from that and the fact he wore plain clothing, he was still the same old geek she knew of.

His room however, did not change much. He still had some of his prized antiques, graphic novels of superheroes, and some other stuff she didn't care much about neatly stacked on the shelves and some wallpapers of geeky movies hanging about. Thankfully, the memorabilia of Lori had disappeared after the first week; Lynn unfortunately had that creepy site engraved in her head, and she swore she saw some of Lori's stuff in it. The fact Clyde tried to come up with some poor excuse for it all didn't help matters either.

"Lynn?" Clyde's voice cut through her thoughts, making the brunette shake herself out of her daze. "You coming?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." She stammered out whilst rubbing the back of her head, following him through the house.

After bidding him Clyde and his two dads goodbye, Lynn hopped onto her bike and pedaled home. It was a short trip of only 6 minutes, a bit longer if she preferred to jog, but didn't want to waste time. The brunette wondered to herself why she stared the other teen longer than she felt was comfortable. Maybe it was the subtle hint that people were going through puberty faster than she was? Being 15 years old, Lynn was in the thick of it; she's already on a monthly menstruation cycle, sometimes it's been noted by Lisa that she'd have bouts of anger that _wasn't _caused by the voice inside her head, and lastly, she had to pop a one or two pimples on her face a month ago.

Her height increased a bit, and her hair was able to reach down to her lower back; but she always kept it short so it wasn't noticeable. Because Lynn didn't wear any jerseys these days, her style usually consisted of denim shorts (during the warm season) with whatever shirt she wanted to wear for the time being.

Maybe it was the way he complemented her? Clyde did sound like he meant every word that left his mouth...Nah. It definitely had to be the height thing. Lynn was even looking for a guy right now.

The Loud gave a light shrug as she pedaled. "Probably one of those inferiority feelings Lori mentioned, or whatever. Sides, Luna moaned about not having any boobs or ass for _months_, but at least she's got _some _junk in the trunk now. Leni is probably about the same size as Lori with how big her bras are now, and Luan is getting up there too."

In Lynn's case, she was a little bit bothered by her lack of a bust, but not as much as her two nearest older sisters. Her issue was height. It was already bothersome that Luan was a head taller despite being only 1 year older, and now the comedian was practically towering over her. Ok, that might be a stretch, but the top of Lynn's head only came up to Luan's neck. In comparison, Lincoln was already matching Lynn's height just a year ago, and now he was definitely surpassing her by a few inches. Sad as it may be, this opened the door for the incessantly neverending 'little sister' jokes from Luan.

Naturally, Lynn grew irritated and managed to get the comedian to hold her tongue with some not-so-idle threats; it didn't last long before the cycle would repeat itself, and Lynn swore that one day, she was going to make Luan wear braces again.

As Lynn continued up the street, she caught the familiar sight of the two-story house with various toys scattered on the lawn; some of which were on the roof, having been long forgotten. The house may have looked the same, but there were some noticeable changes inside and around it. For example, the driveway was now the staging ground for Vanzilla 2.0. Or should Lynn say, _Veronica. _

The 15 year old let a sigh escape her. "Still can't believe Dad went with _that_ name."

During the summer of last year, Vanzilla died for the umpteenth time. Shocker, we know. It didn't happen on the road thank God; the family just returned from a pretty crazy summer trip where everything went wrong _except_ for the van crapping out. It stopped working right as they pulled into the driveway; but the family would soon learn it wasn't just any ordinary engine failure, with a notable popping sound being the cause of worry. Upon cracking the hood, Lana and Lynn Sr. found the engine had a hole the size of a tennis ball in the forward section. The young mechanic deduced that one of the cylinder cranks hadn't been properly lubricated by the oil, causing it to eventually get stuck in its rotation and break. Lisa was also quick to point out the family ought to be lucky the whole engine didn't explode, as similar signs of wear and tear were found on the pistons and crankshaft. Not only that, the miniature explosion also severely damaged the antifreeze lines, radiator, and sliced open the fuel line; combined with the intense heat of the engine itself, the van catching fire would've been the least of everyone's concerns.

In Lynn's own words, the van was absolutely FUBAR; Lana doubted her magic would make it work again, and it would cost a ton just to get the parts to fix it all. Lynn Sr. thought about taking the van to someone who might be able to get it running at a cheap price, but Rita (with a scowl on her face) dragged him off to have a talk before the opportunity arose. None of the kids knew what they discussed, but silently thanked their mom for getting it through to Dad's head that the 40 something year old van _needed_ to go. One quick internet search later and their parents found a van that was a perfect replacement. In fact, it was the same brand Dad originally got the last time Vanzilla broke down; with some extra features that is.

Lynn looked at the readers. "And since we're talking about the new van, Dad gave us a new rule: make a mess? We clean it. Or in Lana's case, fix it; she's not allowed to get in when she's got mud on her either. Personally, I don't got a beef with it; hated those old, soggy, broken spring seats. Obviously, this had everything with to do the whole 'sweet spot' thing in the old van." The brunette frowned a little as she directed her attention forward, slowly riding past Veronica to admire its freshly clean, metallic skin. "It was a good thing Lincoln pointed out how banged up the seats were. Oh, and did I mention the fucking A/C hardly worked and the windows wouldn't come down? Not to mention the locks were broken. I'm a little surprised no one stole that hunk of junk the whole time we've had it. But then again, who would _want _that thing? Even Lincoln didn't want it when Dad said he'd inherit it some day." The brunette smirked as she rode her bike into the garage, "Good riddance, that's what!" She set it up on the wall, leaving her helmet to dangle on the handle. Honestly, if she had to push that old hippie van one more time, she'd trash it herself.

Lynn Sr. hummed fo himself as he held a pot with tonight's dinner sloshing in its containment; the patriarch stirred the handle vigorously whilst moving his hips as if he was on a dance floor. The man glanced to his left upon hearing the back door open, a smile on his lips as his 5th oldest daughter walked. "Hey sweetie. How was your talk with Clyde?"

Lynn shrugged. "Eh. The usual." The 15 year old replied as she shuffled past.

"Did he give you anything new to work with?"

Junior stopped at the entryway to the dining room, briefly glancing back at her father. "He said I should try out stuff that makes me happy; especially if I'm being beaten down." She specifically left out the fact it was about sports, as Lynn didn't want to talk about this with the 'rents (yet).

Lynn Sr. raised a brow. "_Beaten down?_" He turned towards his daughter. "Is someone picking on you?"

"He was referring to the other me in my head pops." Came Lynn's reply as she turned away.

The patriarch's face fell a bit. Two years of Lynn suffering from her inner turmoil and neither parent knew what to do about it. Privately, he and Rita believed Junior needed to see a _real_ shrink instead of talking to one of her peers; not to discredit Clyde or anything, it's just the assumption that Lynn should've been over this by now. However, the adults relented and opted to let their daughter figure it out for herself as, while the events of the luck incident stung, Lynn was clearly affected on a level none of them might understand. And because of how unstable this situation was, neither of them wanted to push Lynn into doing something she'd hate.

"Ok..." Lynn Sr. glanced down at the pot. He turned his head back toward the dining room, just barely catching Junior's disappearing form. "Oh, can you do me a solid and tell everyone dinners ready?" He called after her, becoming satisfied after seeing Lynn give a thumbs up from around the corner.

* * *

"So, Mom is taking me and Sid shopping for school clothes soon." Spoke a certain Hispanic tomboy with an affinity for skateboarding. She let out a heavy groan whilst burying her face into her bed. "I really, _really _wish I went to one of those schools that didn't have a dress code..."

"Guess I'm lucky that Royal Woods doesn't care for one." Came the snarky reply of a certain white-haired Loud child who was leaning back in his chair. "I thought they might do something different when they built the new middle school, or when that K-8 school all of us went to got turned into elementary." The middle child gave a shrug, his smirk returning in force. "Guess the school district really doesn't care."

"Lucky you..." The female replied upon lifting her head.

"Don't worry Ronnie. You won't have to worry about that once you move back here."

"Which won't be for a while Link..." Ronalda replied glumly as slammed her head into her pillow, sending several strands of loose hair over her shoulders.

"Well, I imagine your mom has to get her degree first, then try to find a new house right?" Lincoln smiled a bit, only to drop it when Ronalda didn't return it. She just gazed off to the side while giving a shaky breath. "Ronalda..." The boy started as he sat up straight. "What's wrong?"

The Santiago pursed her lips slightly and rubbed her nose, not something normally worrisome; unless you listened closely and caught a light sniffle. For Lincoln, it was a sign that he was in for some bad news. Was she going to break up with him? Did she find someone else while in the city? Sure, the distance was a bit of a strain on their relationship, but- "My mom _is _getting her degree in two weeks...but we won't be moving back to Royal Woods any time this year...or the next..."

Lincoln mentally slapped himself for thinking about those earlier thoughts, but his heart still felt like it was being stabbed right now. All he could say was, "How come?..."

"Both of us aren't exactly geniuses in the medical field; but from what mom told me, even if she does get her master's, she'd still have to go to medical school for a few years before becoming a licensed doctor..."

"Oooooh…" The Loud sighed.

"I'm sorry Lincoln..." Ronalda continued, propping up her arms to raise her head a bit. "I knew both of us were thinking I'd be back some time later this year; but then Mom told me what she has to do next a few days ago, and I didn't know how to tell you..."

Lincoln brought a faint smile. "It's fine. I mean, like you said, none of us knew this was coming so..." He trailed off as he started to let his depression take over. However, one glance at his girlfriend's saddened look told him that he needed to change the mood. Lincoln wouldn't let this bring them both down, even though it stung like a Box Jellyfish. "You're still coming down for the summer, right?" He asked with what little hope he could muster.

It did the trick, seeing as Ronalda smiled a bit. "Yeah. School's gonna be done in a few days, so you better be ready for me next week." She pointed at the screen briefly before an annoyed sigh escaped her. "And it would help to get away from those morons at my school. Only a few more days til freedom, and everyone goes nuts. I mean, I get it, cause I don't want to be stuck in that prison all day. But some of the boys clearly need to get their hands cut off..."

Lincoln raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Nearly broke some dude's wrist last week because he tried to _touch _me..." Ronalda replied, using air quotes on the word 'touch'; the sentence alone carried more negative vibes than she let on. Lincoln held a poker face at the news, but he was silently fuming at the thought of someone trying to get all physical with her. A typical response given how close they are; in spite that Lincoln was normally his usual, peaceful self, he still carried somewhat of wary reputation around his peers since his elementary school days.

"Long story short, he won't be doing it again unless he wants to lose a couple fingers; but he ought to be lucky that A) I didn't use my abuela's taser, and B..." The tomboy developed a smirk. "My boyfriend wasn't around to beat him into paste."

Lincoln felt his chest flutter at that last statement. His cheeks reddened a bit as he scratched a nervous itch on the back of his skull as a flattered smile appeared for the Santiago to chuckle at. "Heh heh, I-I'm pretty sure I would."

On Ronnie Anne's end, a familiar squawking could be heard. The tomboy looked up, and at the top of the screen, Lincoln could see her family's pet bird flying around her room. "Soups on! Get yer butt in gear!" Sergio squawked before flying out.

"Well, I gotta go get some grub. Hope Abuela doesn't stuff me like a turkey again; with as much as she cooks, she could easily feed all the homeless..." The tomboy muttered to herself before directing her attention back to the screen. "Smell ya later Lincoln." Ronnie Anne smiled, bringing her hands together in the shape of a heart. "Love you..."

Lincoln replied with a smile of his own, putting his hands in the shape of a heart as well. "I love you too..."

The call ended seconds later, with Lincoln's smile dropping as he let his hands fall to his sides. A heavy, depressing sigh escaped him as he lied back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, letting the news about Ronnie Anne's unfortunate circumstances hit him like a freight train. While the two knew that being hours apart would be a boon on their hang-out time, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne usually managed to catch up during school breaks; this coming summer would be no exception. Like Lori and Bobby before them, they made do with weekly video chats (sometimes a bit further apart due to school related issues); but this paled in comparison to being able to talk in person. You couldn't hold the one you liked in your arms through digital chat, and sometimes using the computer to talk just reminded Lincoln of how far away Ronnie Anne was. He was sure she felt it too, but didn't really show it.

During the breaks, Lincoln and Ronalda would go to their favorite locals just like old times; sometimes with their group of friends if they felt like it. There was one particularly funny moment when Stella floated a few flirts to Lincoln, with Ronalda immediately taking offense. The Filipina was just being a troll though, making the situation much less serious (hilarious even) in spite of the Hispanic girl chasing the tall Asian around the arcade. If they had time to, Lincoln would even treat the Santiago to a good movie; just the two of them, alone (while secretly being watched by one of Lincoln's sisters).

A smile crossed Lincoln's lips as he recalled one such instance. During spring break last year, he and Ronnie Anne saw a trailer for _IT_; Lincoln didn't want to see it due to thinking it'd be too scary for him, with Ronnie feeling confident due to how cheesy it looked. Normally, the tomboy refrained from teasing Lincoln's masculinity, but she successfully goaded him into seeing it while offering to pull him into a nice, little smooching session if Lincoln didn't scream during the whole movie as a reward (no, they haven't used tongue yet you perverts). If he did scream, he'd have to admit it to their friends on Facebook. In return, Lincoln came up with his own conditions: if Ronnie did find the movie to be scary, she had to wear the Fenton Fox suit and do the happy dance for Lily. If not, then Lincoln would play a cute little song for her; he had been going to Luna Luna for guitar and singing lessons, but couldn't find the right opportunity to take advantage of his new skills.

Both kids wound up losing their bets when they screamed along with the audience, on top of holding each other in a vice grip as if Pennywise would come for them next. Their torture session finally ended when Leni arrived and dragged them out of the theater, opting to not tell their parents since she felt they were punished enough. Even so, for a few weeks, Lincoln couldn't look at Luan whenever she put on her clown costume for the birthday parties she was working for; in comparison, Ronnie Anne had to go without even hearing the word 'clown' for a similar amount of time or else she'd freak out. The young couple called it a draw, with no one having to subject themselves to further humiliation.

The holidays were much more peaceful, and dare Lincoln say, cute even. On Valentine's Day, due to it falling on a Saturday this year, Lincoln took a trip up to Great Lakes City with a particular gift in mind. Upon presenting it to Ronnie Anne, she found it was a framed photo of the two posing for a picture they took at a fair the previous year. The tomboy wasn't normally one to be all mushy, but the numerous kiss marks on Lincoln's face said otherwise; at least for this one time. Last Christmas, both families got together with the young couple exchanging gifts; Lincoln gave Ronalda a yellow hoodie with the initials for Royal Woods on the front, with the Santiago giving him a black windbreaker jacket she thought would look nice on him. They still have those items in their closets, if only to use them when the cold season starts.

Bottom line, spite of the distance, the two still found a way to make it work. However, Ronalda and Lincoln always held onto the thought that it would only last two years; and boy did those years fly by quickly as Lincoln recalled the important bits.

Lori graduated from high school just a few months after the 'luck' fiasco, and she (along with her best friend Carol Pingry) were accepted to Fairway University on a scholarship the following autumn. Because the campus was only a half-hour drive from the Casagrande's building, Rosa allowed the two to rent out one of the apartments so their parents wouldn't have to spend extra for on-site housing. Being the courteous woman she was, Rosa even had their monthly rent come out a bit less than the other tenants due to how well everyone knew each other; however, the two blondes still wanted to get part time jobs so they could become more independent. Transportation wasn't a problem as Mrs. Pingry gave her car to her oldest daughter as a graduation present; it should also go without saying that the two fit right in with Fairway's Golf Team, given their impressive skill as witnessed by the head coach months prior.

The oldest child going to college wasn't the only change either. Along with getting a new family van, the parents decided to have the house renovated to include two additional bathrooms. The closet of the master bedroom was turned into one with another sizable closet being built on the opposite side of the room, while another, smaller bathroom was built next to the dining room. Out of the two, only the master bedroom's facilities had a shower and tub installed; still, it cut down on the time needed to get ready in the morning instead of having everyone rely on one washroom. Because the renovations would require the family to be out of the house for a couple weeks, the parents timed the construction with their annual family vacation. Lincoln would be the first to tell you many things went wrong with it on the way to their destination, but that's a whole 'nother story.

As it stood now, Leni was still deciding on what college she wanted to attend. Like some students, the fashionista didn't immediately set her sights on the higher education system right after graduation; she did narrow it down to a few choices though, but for now, she maintained her job as assistant manager of Reininger's. When Lori moved out, Leni became the only other Loud aside from Lincoln to have a room to herself, and she took her job as the oldest sibling seriously; unlike Lori though, she still kept her bubbly nature (while coming off as dense occasionally), but she still looked out for her siblings when they really needed her. The fashionista also improved her driving enough to earn a license, though sometimes you'd question if she used to live in New Jersey.

Luna was on track to graduate at the end of the month, with Luan following after her next year. The musician formed a band with her girlfriend Sam, which rose in popularity around Royal Woods. They were planning on reaching to new heights by looking to perform at popular places in the surrounding cities, but so far had no luck. They weren't in a rush though, with senior year having been a pain in the ass like usual. Luan continued to master her aspirations in comedy, with some theater on the side thanks to her boyfriend Benny. The two had been going steady ever since they started in a Romeo and Juliet play two years back, and the family really opened up to the guy; Lincoln even found him to be somewhat of an older brother surrogate due to Bobby's absence. The comedian also had her braces removed in the spring, though Lynn had openly stated she might be tempted to make her use them again if she didn't cut down on her puns.

Lucy was more or less the same, having grown to wear baggy clothing and had a noticeable increase in her height. For the first time in her life though, she changed her hairstyle. Yeah, it sounds boring and unimportant, but the reason why it's even being mentioned is because Lucy finally allowed one of her eyes to be shown 24/7. If Lincoln had to be honest, it sort of looked like Haiku's style with the way her hair was swept to one side, but slightly more puffy; if you could call it that. She still gave this dull, half-dead stare whenever you locked eyes with her, though it was easier to tell what her emotional state is, especially if she grew agitated. The 10 year old has also taken to writing actual stories to post online; naturally, just about all of them were tragedies or drama filled.

The twins had changed only slightly. The gaps in their teeth had filled up, though Lana was missing a canine after having a tooth pulled recently. Lola stopped wearing gowns and a tiara 24/7, now preferring to use them only for pageants. Because she was no longer qualified for the Little Miss Cutie pageants due to her age, she instead participated in the Little Miss Preteen circuit. They didn't occur as often as those for younger children, at least once every second Saturday; but the pageant goer still participated in regionals on a monthly basis. Lana was still the mud throwing, animal loving mechanic everyone was used to; sadly, she was barred from bringing more random animals into the house at the insistence of her parents. She also didn't play in the mud as often as she used to, though her work on house maintenance and _occasionally _the van still meant you'd see at least a few dirt or grease stains on her.

For the youngest Louds, it was no surprise they'd go through some of the biggest changes. Lisa's intellect grew sharper with age, even developing a bit of a moral compass in the sense that she managed to break her habit of human experimentation (without asking that is). Didn't stop her from conducting some tests on herself on occasion, one of which successfully resulted in growing her hair back after losing it in a failed experiment. While biology was still her strong suit, the 6 year old now had a focus in cyber security and psychology to better understand human behaviors she once claimed didn't affect her. The little genius was also a bit more expressive with her emotions these days, thankfully dropping the indifferent attitude some of her siblings found to be infuriating. She still talked with big words just to irritate them though.

Being 3 years old, Lily was one of those kids you had to keep an eye on whenever you go outside or else you'll lose track of her. Rita even had to get a child leash after the toddler tried to poke an ant hill at the park. Still, her bubbly nature continued to grow with her, increasing her curiosity and asking many questions about how certain things operate. Lana and Lisa in particular found this enjoyable, at least until Lily got on the latter's nerves to the point Lisa sometimes wished Lily would go back to only saying 'poo poo'. Regard, everyone loved her all the same, and had a few ways to tire her out if she became a handful.

And where did Lincoln sit in all of this? A 13 year old in the midst of his middle school years. He had grown quite well, standing at about 5' 4"; most of the baby fat on his face had disappeared with his height increase, his trademark chipped tooth was as prominent as ever, and he let his hair grow out to where it sat as a slightly unkempt bush on his dome; because of this, his usual cowlick was no longer visible. The boy also changed his clothing style; instead of blue jeans, he wore black jeans with small cuts at the knees along with an orange hoodie that he'd wear frequently unless it was excessively hot, which then devolved into an Ace Savvy t-shirt of his choosing. It was a quite ironic; Ronnie Anne used to wear a hoodie no matter what, and now she just wore a long-sleeved purple sweater with shorts that only reached half-way down her thighs. Her hair style stayed the same, with the edge of her ponytail reaching down to her lower back. The Santiago also dumped her lace-less flats for sneakers at the start of the year.

In terms of height, Lynn could take comfort in knowing there was at least one other girl around her height; Ronalda was just a couple inches shorter at 5', with Lynn surpassing her by an inch.

Lincoln's smile faltered as he thought about the two girls; one was still carrying an emotional burden from two years ago and the other couldn't be within walking distance for a few more years. Now, Lincoln had been helping Lynn cope with her self-deprecation since it started, constantly reminding her that he'd already forgiven her for everything that transpired. Needless to say, the sole Loud boy doubted this worked; even Clyde's visits (while very reassuring) haven't completely stemmed the tide. When it came to Ronnie Anne though, it seemed like she was able to get through to Lynn on a level no one else could. If Lincoln was correct, it was almost as if Lynn and Ronalda connected in a way the twins did. Wasn't hard to notice since both are tomboys with a bit of a rough exterior (and had a hidden girly side they'd only show once in a while). It also helped that Ronnie Anne was considered an honarary Loud due to how close she was to himself and Lynn.

Before the white haired child could dwell on this further, he jolted a bit as a knock at the door pierced his thought process. Turning his head to the left, "Yeah?"

The door opened to reveal the one sister he was monologing about. "Come on Lame-O, dinner's ready." Lynn spoke, only pausing when she got a good look at his face. The way his mouth sat and his eyes sporting a dulled color in them were all the clues she needed to know something was up. "You ok?"

"Um..." He stuttered a little, giving Lynn more assurance. "Yeah? Why?" He smiled nervously.

The former athlete gave him a half-lidded stare as folded her arms. "Lincoln, you're like an open book." She dawned a smirk as he dropped his faux smile. "To me at least." Eyeing the computer, and noting the time on his alarm clock, "Did something happen while you were talking to your girlfriend?"

Lincoln squinted his eyes in suspicion. "How'd you know I was even talking to her?"

"Well, I was just guessing, but thanks for confirming it!" Lynn laughed a little, walking in and sitting on his bed. "But seriously, what's the deal?"

Lincoln pouted his lips a bit before leaning back in his chair, the same depressing sigh rearing its ugly head as it escaped him. "Ronnie Anne isn't gonna be moving back this year. Her mom still has to go to medical school..." His eyes drooped a bit, his head falling backward to resume his staring contest with the ceiling. "Which could last until my senior year..."

Lynn gave a frown of her own. "Dang...that bites..." Seeing her brother start to slip further into his pit of sorrow, the brunette decided to put his mind on the positives. "At least you guys can still see each other when school isn't a problem. She still coming over for a couple weeks, right?"

"Yeaaaaah..." Lincoln drawed out before leaning up just enough to look at his sister. "But it's not the same as her being back in the neighborhood for good. Sure, we get to hang out while she's here, or when I go visit her in the city; but all of it is still on a timer that I wish we didn't have to deal with. The moment I have to leave, or she does, it's..." He paused in order to get his thoughts together. The boy pursed his lips as he felt his eyes becoming wet, giving another huff as he slouched in his chair. "It just reminds me of how far away she is..."

Lynn could only nod in agreement. She couldn't speak from experience, but there was a general consensus that long distance relationships didn't always work out. It was only natural that her brother was freaking out because he didn't want to lose the stable relationship he had now. Then again, the circumstances of Lincoln and Ronalda getting together weren't typical by any means. Even more so, the two should be lucky that no plane ticket is required for these year round visits.

"Ok, I get it. You worried that your relationship might stagnate over the years." Lynn started, crossing over and taking a seat on his desk. "But you guys are still going strong after two, so what's another four?"

Lincoln gave a light lift of the shoulders. "I guess..."

"Sides, she took you in when..." A frown crossed her face. "When you _really_ needed help," Lynn then formed a straight face. "And she's been there for you since; plus, you've stuck to her like glue and made her happy whenever she's feeling down, so I doubt you have any real reason to be worried that some other guy is gonna come and sweep her off her feet just cause you aren't around." The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Or _do _you?"

Lincoln twitched an eye a little, his body heat rising slightly as irritation started to take over. He sat up straight and turned towards his sister. "No? In fact, she just told me she nearly broke someone's hand last week because they tried to grope her." He folded his arms. "I'd very much would've liked to punch the guy who did it, thank you."

Lynn returned his scowl with a wide grin. Unexpectedly, she grabbed part of Lincoln's cheek, giving it a light pinch as she pulled on the skin. "Aw, look at Linky being strong for his girlfriend." She spoke in a cutesy tone before glancing at his arms. "Still gonna need to bulk up a bit more. And your swing could use some work."

Lincoln frowned before slapping her hand away. "I don't need to be one of those guys that lift those ginormous weights Lynn..."

"I know." She squeezed his bicep. "You're one of those muscular lean type of guys. I mean, your muscles might be more noticeable if you were just naturally flexing; like picking up something. Plus," An impish grin formed. "I bet Ronnie Anne digs it."

Lincoln's cheeks became flush with red as he looked away from his sister. He looked a little pissed, but Lynn knew he wasn't mad. During the past year, to Lynn's surprise, Lincoln had often asked her to spar with him or do some type of workout routine to better himself. That was only half the truth though. While Lincoln did want to become stronger to protect himself and his sisters, he also saw it as a way to help Lynn keep herself in shape since she dropped all forms of sports. In some ways, it did help with the tomboy's self esteem by engaging in a pastime she once considered fun; though it came with mixed results. Lincoln could tell when Lynn was holding herself back to keep from hurting him, and sometimes she'd lose the will to continue after being reminded of how hard she used to be on her brother when Lincoln had no interest in being her 'practice dummy'.

It took some trial and error before Lincoln managed to convince Lynn she would in no way hurt him during their practices, and soon enough, the two made a rounded schedule that also included doing other simple exercises like lifting weights and running. Thanks to his sister's insight, Lincoln found himself becoming more limber and stronger; he was able to lift one end of the couch in spite of his littlest sisters sitting on it without straining himself too much. He was still no match for anyone that was well above his weight class unfortunately.

"She does..." Lincoln muttered, biting his cheek to stave off further embarrassment. Deciding to turn the tables, he threw a side glance at Lynn. "What about your chat with Clyde earlier? Did _that _lead to anything?"

Lynn dropped her cocky smile and was quick to scowl at her brother. "Mood killer..." She muttered loud enough for him to hear. "...He said I should try doing things that I enjoy to help with my moods." She furrowed her brows a bit. "Or _used to _like..."

That was a rather generic statement. "Like what?" Her brother asked as he raised a brow. "I know you don't enjoy coming to everyone's events all the time. And while we do our workouts twice a week, they aren't necessarily for fun."

"He was talking about sports Lincoln..." Lynn finally uttered. "I mean, I'm getting back to liking just watching it, but _playing _is a whole different story."

"Did Clyde actually suggest playing?"

Lynn squinted her eyes a little. "Mmmmm..." She shook her head. "Not really. I guess he _implied _it, but I ain't sure."

"Well, how did you feel about when he first brought it up?"

"Geez, now you're starting to sound like him." The brunette groaned. "I just felt like I'm missing something in my life; but I keep asking myself, is it worth doing something that I ended going overboard with?"

"Well, no one ever said you had to quit sports Lynn. It was pretty much your life's goal to become a professional athlete, so seeing you giving up on it is still a shock to everyone in the house."

Lynn frowned as she gazed at the floor. "After everything I did, I doubt I deserve to be one..."

Silence filled the void for a brief moment. "Do you believe in second chances at least?" Lincoln asked, making his sister glance at him. "Yeah, you calling me bad luck was a dick move, and me not doing anything to say otherwise until I was put outside didn't help." The boy gave an uncharacteristically dry laugh. "I'll be honest Lynn: I didn't feel like myself that first week I ran away. You know that I nearly called the cops too, but it didn't just come to me," He snapped his fingers, "Like that."

"I'm surprised you didn't. If I was in your place at the time, I would've blew that whistle without a second thought."

Lincoln shrugged, a bit of uneasiness setting in. "Probably...but let me ask you this though. What would you have to gain from breaking up the family and watching Mom and Dad spend 10 years in jail? Not to mention having everyone, including yourself, be taken into Foster Care because Pop-Pop and Aunt Ruth can't watch over us." Lynn's mouth fell agape as she looked at her brother with the best 'What The Literal F' face she could muster. "I got a little curious a while after the party we had when I came back home to see what might've happened if I did go that route."

"...I...uh..." Lynn stuttered, her mind drawing a blank.

"What I'm saying is, I didn't do it because not only would I have done something that would've made everything much, _much _worse, I had nothing to get out of seeing you guys suffer." The boy slouched in his seat. "Yeah, I wanted you guys to prove you really cared about me as your brother, but you wouldn't have been able to do that behind bars."

Lynn brought her hands together, her thumbs folding over each other. "Was it really hard making that choice?..."

Lincoln tapped the arm of his chair with a finger. "My brain and my heart were arguing with each other..." He turned to her. "But my heart won out because not only would it have been wrong of me to ruin our family forever just because everyone was being dumber than Leni, but I also wanted to let you guys have a chance to fix things. I mean, you guys let me do it when I mess up, so why shouldn't I let you do the same?"

Lynn blinked a few times, her lips a thin line as she contemplated her response. She unclapsed her hands and sat them at her sides. "Are you sure you're 13 and not Lori's age? That sounds like something we'd ought to be hearing from her."

Lincoln smiled a little. "Guess I kinda had to grow up faster than anyone thought. I mean, an 11 year old shouldn't have had to think about what I just said. But seriously, "He dropped his smile and rested a hand on the back of Lynn's palm. "I think you should give sports another chance if it makes you happy; especially if you want to move past all this. I mean, you'll take some losses; it's sports after all. But I know you won't make the same mistake."

Lynn bit her cheek. "Easier said than done. I've been fighting with myself for 2 years, and you're still getting nightmares about the day I went to the hospital..."

Lincoln gave a light huff, momentarily glancing away from her. "They'll stop one day..." He muttered quietly. "But I'm not letting them bring me down, so you should stop being a baby and try to move on. I already have to remind you several times that I forgave you."

"Who says I'm being a baby? You're the one who still has _Bun Bun _sitting on your bed." The brunette pointed to the plush toy resting by the pillow.

"I'm not the one who probably still needs to wear diapers for how much crying she does." Lincoln smirked, ignoring the comment about his childhood toy. "Want me to hold you and rock you to sleep?" He taunted with a wide grin on his face.

Lynn's eyes widened as her pupils shrank to the size of peas; her cheeks became flush with red as her face started to heat up. Seconds later though, her eyes returned back to normal size as her brows formed a wide V shape; a growl forced its way through her teeth as her hands curled into fists. "Oh, I'll show you a good hold..."

Lincoln dropped his smirk, thinking he might've accidentally angered his sister. He had little time to react before she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and wrestled him to the floor. Lincoln immediately tried to counter by breaking out of her grip so he could turn the tables, but she had him pinned good. The poor teen thought he was about to gain some aching limbs, but the tomboy surprised him as he felt her digits rapping at the sides of his ribs. Being that he was really sensitive at that area, Lincoln tried to stifle his laughter as he wiggled around under his sisters weight.

"Say uncle!" Lynn smirked.

"N-Never!" Lincoln chuckled as he continued to squirm. He managed to get an arm free and pressed it against her face.

"Alright," She grabbed his arm. "You asked for it." She pinned it to his back and lifted part of his shirt, exposing his delicate skin to the open air. She rubbed her fingers against his side more vigorously, earning a howl of laughter from the younger boy as Lincoln tried harder to get her off, kicking his feet around until they accidentally banged on his chair.

Lynn kept up her attack until she heard someone clear their throat. The teens looked up to see Lisa staring at them with her trademark indifference. "If you two are finished with your playfighting, your dinner is below optimal eating temperature."

Lynn barely suppressed a groan. "Dang it. Microwaved meatballs aren't as good as fresh ones..." She released her brother before climbing off him, soon grabbing a hand and pulling him to his feet. Lisa took that as her cue to leave, entering the room she shared with her toddler sibling.

"O-Ok, that didn't count as a win cause I wasn't ready." Lincoln pouted, though it was clear he was still holding back his laughter.

"Ah, but you like it anyway." Lynn replied as she ruffled his hair. Giving a short giggle, "It's almost like petting a sheep."

"Hah hah." Lincoln chortled, calmly grabbing her arm. "Careful Lynn. You might take Lori's title as my favorite sister." He stated as he lifted her hand off his head.

The brunette could only smirk. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"So, are going give it a shot?" Lincoln asked. "If not for me, at least do it for you." He then added as a smirk formed. "Or Clyde."

"Yeah, I'll try it out. Maybe we can work something into our-" Lynn stopped upon catching the last two words. "Wait, what do you mean Clyde?" Lynn watched as her brother's shoulders moved in a way that let her know he was laughing to himself. "Lincoln?" The middle child pretended to ignore her as he walked out the room, heading for the stairs. "Lincoln!" She spoke again, this time clear irritation in her tone as she bolted after him.

**A/N: And that's all I will leave for now. You may be wondering what happened to Chandler as well as Hank and Hawk, particularly since they would be out of prison by now. However, those questions will be answered in due time. Next chapter we'll take a better look into the Louds and their social lives, as well as the Casagrandes. **

**And speaking of which, yes, Marcus is still dead. Don't ask me about putting him back in just because the show suddenly decided to do something with him after 2 flipping years. I hope you realize Worth ended _i__n November of last year, _long before anyone knew a thing about Dr. Santiago; so it's pointless to go back and change it.**


	2. Can't Sleep

**A/N: And were back to another continuation of the story. I still have some things I need to build up on, which may or may not be covered in this chapter; but we'll see where it goes. Also, as a guest once asked, I occasionally consider suggestions given out; but it depends of whether it'll make sense with the story (and trust me, I've been given plenty that would've derailed it faster than that one passenger train that crashed last year). However, something like Lana being an intern for as a mechanic for Bobbie Flecher wouldn't work cause she's not at that age to qualify as an intern. Skills she does have, but she'd still have a wait a few more years.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Crickets chirped their nightly song as the moon stood tall in the dark sky. Franklin Avenue was almost deathly silent save for the occasional police car that idly cruised down the road on its usual patrol. Inside the house of Loud, the silence was pierced by the numerous snores emitting from the 5 bedrooms in the house; at times, a fart may cut in thanks to the resident mechanic working off tonight's dinner. At one end of the hall however, an uneasy groan clawed its way from under the door to meet the snoring, only to be drowned under the unsettling nasal sounds. Inside the closet-turned-bedroom, Lincoln had his eyes shut tighter than normal as he shifted his position on the mattress; beads of sweat were forming on his forehead as he bit his lip slightly.

Dressed in nothing but his undies and a night shirt, you'd think the pre-summer heat was the source of his discomfort. However, the entire house interior was coated with a calm 70 degrees thanks to the A/C unit; not to mention, Lincoln took his comic reading habit to his bed attire, finding much more comfortable to have his legs exposed to the open air while under the covers. With that said, you might think the neverending sounds of his family's slumber would disturb him; he long grew accustomed to this however, and it has been evidenced by Lisa's cameras that the middle child was also prone to it on occasion. Plus, his door blocked out much of the noise anyways.

See, it's not what's going on externally, as Lincoln hitched a breath while muttering one word. "Lynn..."

Inside Lincoln's head, the peaceful environment around him was far from anything synonymous with those words. The Loud boy found himself in a place that he was unfortunately very familiar with: the side of a street by the park with the crumpled and bloody form of his sporty sister. The boy himself had been strung up by his shirt on the metal fence, numerous bruises marring his exposed stomach and sides after two certain brutes were done with him. He could hardly see out of one eye and his jaw felt numb. They were long gone by now, leaving the two broken Louds to fend for themselves as their mocking chuckles faded into the distance.

To Lincoln, the world around him didn't matter as he stared at his fallen sibling. The two had been on a leisurely jog when Hank and Hawk ambushed them, wanting revenge for being stuck in prison for the past year. The two put up as best of a fight they could; sadly, size won over smarts, and the Louds were no match for the two heavyweights that were the Hazeltuckey bullies. Lincoln felt he got off lucky; half his ribs were very much broken, and his trademark chip-tooth lie on the ground just feet away, but he could still feel his limbs screaming for help.

As for Lynn, Lincoln couldn't make heads or tails on the severity of her condition; just seeing her unconscious was bad enough.

However, the middle child drew in a gasp upon seeing the faintest of movement coming from her; a twitch of the fingers, but it was enough for Lincoln to know she was somewhat awake. Turning his head around, Lincoln reached behind him and started to undo the knot on the back end of his shirt from the top of the fence post. Unfortunately, his blood-soaked fingers found it hard to get a good grip. Giving a shaky, yet heated groan, Lincoln pulled at the fabric until he felt the threads start to tear.

_RIIIIIIIIIP!_

_THUD!_

Ignoring the pain the flared in his side, Lincoln scrambled to his feet and hobbled over to Lynn. He panted heavily as his adrenaline started to run dry, soon dropping to his knees when he was just feet away from his sister. Adding a few more scrapes to his hands and knees, the boy reached over to Lynn and turned her over onto her back. He was nearly repulsed by the state her face was in: one of her eyes was swollen with blood pouring out of the hole where her pupil would be (the other being in no better shape but looked like a typical black-eye), her nose was scrunched up in a position that Lincoln thought was impossible, one of Lynn's ears was slightly torn at the outer edge, pieces of hair were ripped from her scalp, and there was nothing short of horrific at the state her mouth was in. On top of that, Lincoln could tell 3 of her limbs were broken by the odd angles that didn't look right for a normal person.

"O-Oh God..." Lincoln uttered quietly as he felt his eyes wetting. "Lynn?" He shook her, not getting any sort of response. "Lynn, p-please..." The boy shook her more vigorously.

Lynn let out a gurgling groan, moving her arm up to grab her brother's hand in a weak hold. The brunette let out a few harsh coughs, making Lincoln recoil a little as she inadvertently spat blood in his face. Lincoln hoisted her up slightly, trying to be sure he didn't injure her more than she already was. Lynn continued to cough, giving a pained noise Lincoln could've related to a dying animal given all the nature shows he watched with Lana.

"D-Don't worry Lynn...y-you'll be ok..." The middle child spoke with a shaky breath before immediately looking about their surroundings. "HELLO?! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP MY SISTER! HEEELP!" The boy yelled out, hearing his voice carry into the horizon. He sincerely hoped someone, anyone, would come to their aid.

A moment passed before Lincoln gave another cry for help, but no one appeared to hear him. Lynn let her head falter to the side slightly as her grip on Lincoln's hand began to slacken. She gripped it as best she could, getting her brother's attention. "Lin...coln..." Was the only word she could say before Lynn's grip faded completely, letting her hand fall to her side. Her head nodded more towards the earth as it looked like she passed out again.

"Lynn?..." Lincoln muttered, gently taking her hand into his own. His sense of urgency reached new heights when he didn't feel her return his grasp, shaking his head as if he was trying to deny what was happening. "Lynn?!" Lincoln put two fingers against her neck, his eyes letting tears fall freely as he pressed firmly against her blood-soaked skin.

Nothing...

The boy's breath hitched as he pressed an ear to Lynn's chest, his fears increasing as he didn't hear a heartbeat. Using what he knew from health class, Lincoln situated his palms on Lynn's sternum and began to rhythmically press on it.

"No Lynn! Please! You can't die! Please come back!" Lincoln cried out as he sped up his compressions.

Unfortunately, a few seconds later, he was met with the sight of blood squirting out of Lynn's mouth every time he pressed on her chest. Lincoln winced as he gently opened his sister's mouth, soon reeling back in horror as he covered his lips with both hands; not only was it to muffle the scream he suddenly let loose, but it was just in case he vomited. The poor girl's mouth was a pool filled with blood, causing some of her teeth to float about in the gory cauldron.

Lincoln gave light sniffles that slowly grew to become louder and more drawn out, the realization of his situation hitting him in force; Lynn was too far gone to be saved. On its own, her head rolled a bit to the left, allowing the pooled blood to leak out like water from a cracked dam. Slowly, Lincoln's hands raised themselves from his mouth towards his eyes, letting his cries become enriched with his surname as they shouted into a world that couldn't help him bring back one of his closest siblings. As his hands fell to his sides, Lincoln just sat there, hunched over his deceased sibling. He should've been angry at this situation, that Hank and Hawk took something very valuable from him; he should've been pissed enough to want to avenge his sibling. And yet, the teen was blaming himself for his inability to help Lynn when she really needed it. He heard the brunette cry for help before the beating started to get serious, but no one came to her aid. Lincoln didn't have that same rush of adrenaline like that time Lana was being bullied by a few in his peers; these were different circumstances, and the Loud had been frozen in fear to do much of anything.

As Lincoln continued to mourn over Lynn's corpse, he failed to notice two predators approaching from behind.

"Guess the little bitch didn't make it huh?" An older, burly voice mocked that chilled Lincoln to the core.

"Served her right for thinkin' she could handle _these _guns!" Another laughed, and Lincoln could tell he was probably flexing his muscles if he dared to look.

"Aw, poor Stinkoln misses his sister already."

"Well, he won't miss her if he's _WITH _her..." This was followed by a sinister laugh.

Lincoln's pupils shrank to their smallest diameter as he whipped his head back. Standing before him were Hank and Hawk, appearing as muscular as ever after having been in prison. Their hair styles had hardly changed, but they now sported several tattoos on their arms that appeared to be aligned with dealing pain towards others, and their knuckles were still freshly painted red from the blood they spilled from the Louds. The greatest oddity however, was the fact they were practically fifty feet tall, leaving Lincoln to appear as nothing but an ant. The Loud cowered under their piercing, villainous stares as they chuckled haughtily at his tiny form. The poor little boy could only put his hands out in a feeble defense as he screamed in terror; the giant fists coming forth to crush him into nothingness.

Lincoln gave a sharp gasp as he bolted upright in his bed, the longest parts of his hair whipping back from the sudden movement and stuck to his sweat-riddled face. The teen panted several times as he removed the white follicles from his view, a sense of relief filling his chest upon recognizing the dark environment of his room. As his breaths slowed, Lincoln lowered a hand to his eyes as a depressed and frustrated sigh left him.

"That dream again..."

As Lynn hinted earlier, Lincoln had been dealing with what Lisa called a minor form of PTSD. The white-haired teen felt that was a bit too strong of a word, but no one else had an idea to describe the extent of Lincoln's mental trauma. At least once a month, occasionally more, he'd experience a nightmare that always centered around Lynn being killed; and every single time, Lincoln was powerless to stop it. Sometimes the nightmares involved Hank and Hawk being the culprits, under the assumption that the brutes would be looking for revenge after being rightfully thrown into prison. Other times it'd involve a random accident, though interestingly, one nightmare involved Lincoln being forced to watch Lynn getting tortured to death by a group of people who discovered the family's secret about the Luck fiasco.

And just like Lynn, the parents considered having their son make weekly visits to a psychiatrist; Lincoln refused as he felt doing so might lead to him opening up about what occurred two years ago, and ultimately ruin the family due to unwanted outside "help". It was a secret Lincoln _very much _wanted to take to his grave after spending so much time rebuilding his familial bond. Thankfully, Lisa boiled it down to her brother just having an errant fear of meeting the two people that gave them so much grief; and that's on top of the never-ending shock from seeing one of his sisters in such a horrid state. The worst thing about it? Lincoln didn't even have a clue as to how he could've helped Lynn when she was getting her ass handed to her.

Anyone could tell there was some underlying guilt the middle child developed from the fact he just hung there like a piñata while watching Lynn take on the bullies, especially when she needed help. Naturally, Lisa assured him that he wasn't in a position to offer any sort of aid due to his own injuries; the prodigy even stated that it might've been worse to leave Lynn by herself if he tried to run off to find help. Lincoln felt the opposite, but chose not to argue.

The teen shifted his legs a bit, quickly becoming uncomfortable at how the sheets tangled around his limbs. Putting a hand on his forearm, Lincoln frowned upon noting how sticky he felt.

"Great..." He mumbled, throwing the sheets aside and swinging his legs out over the edge of the mattress. "Now I gotta wash all this sweat off..." Lincoln groaned as he pushed himself off the bed. Glancing at his clock, he knew his sisters ought to be dead asleep by now; a perfect time to run some hot water.

Cracking the door open, Lincoln was met with a dark hallway filled with the muffled sounds of his sleeping siblings. Giving a tired yawn, the middle child dragged his feet along the carpet as he idly checked each door. There was barely a sound coming from the littlest Louds' room, not unusual since Lisa and Lily don't snore. In comparison, the twins' room sounded like there was a tractor trailer revving its engine in there; Lincoln bit his cheek upon hearing another fart cut in through the noise. In all honesty, he forgot which one of the twins does that during their sleep; nor did he care to find out.

Upon reaching Lucy and Lynn's room, Lincoln stared at the door out of habit. The first few times he had his nightmares, he bolted into their room to make sure Lynn was ok. Aside from being annoyed at getting woken up so early, Lynn always greeted the sobbing child with open arms; this often meant Lucy would wake up to find the two cuddling each other in their sleep. As cute as it was, the goth lover would have to pry them apart when she felt Lincoln wasn't distressed anymore. However, they soon came to learn Lincoln's nightmares weren't a one time deal, and Lynn always left the door open just a tad so he could bunk with them if he wished. Even now, the door was open ever so slightly from what he could see in the dark hallway.

Lincoln shuffled quietly to the door, using a finger to crack it open a few more inches. From the moonlight shown through the bedroom's window, Lincoln saw his gothic sister resting peacefully under her bedsheets.

_"Guess she isn't much of an all-nighter huh?" _The young teen bemused to himself.

Looking up, the ceiling remained clear of the bat colony Lucy used to keep, though there were some claw marks that had yet to be painted over. Lincoln frowned a little; while he wasn't much of a fan of Fangs and his family, they were certainly like a second family to Lucy. However, like all siblings, they eventually grow up enough to live on their own; as was the case with all the bats as of summer of last year. Plus, it was starting to become a bit unhealthy keeping them around with all the bat guano accumulating on the ceiling. It even forced Lynn to sleep in the basement for a whole month lest she risk some of that gunk falling on her face.

Speaking of which, Lincoln panned over to the former athlete's bed, only to grow confused upon seeing an empty spread with the sheets hanging off the side of the matress. The teen jolted as a loud noise rang out from behind him, making Lincoln look back as it diminished to a faint whisper. Down the stairs, he could see a vibrant bluish glow painting the walls and the floor; it didn't take a genius to figure out that someone was watching TV. Seeing that the rest of the doors were closed, Lincoln knew only one person could be up at this hour.

_"Shit shit shit!"_ Lynn screamed internally as she repeatedly thumbed the 'down' arrow of the volume button on the remote.

The 15 year old held a breath as she clenched the remote in her hand. Watching an old movie she considered decent, Lynn forgot some of the explosive scenes could be particularly loud. The second one explosion started to echo in the room, the former athlete had fumbled with the remote for a second before frantically turning down the volume, hoping no one was awoken by the noise; especially her parents since their room was directly behind her. Lynn already managed to get away with making something of a commotion while making a bag of popcorn, being that the kitchen was distant enough from the other rooms. After a moment, Lynn finally let herself relax as she dug a hand into the bowl of popped kernel situated in front of her.

"Lynn?" A voice whispered, followed by a creaking of the steps.

Lynn's breathing hitched as she stopped mid-chewing, whipping her head fast enough for her long locks to smack her in the face. Seeing it was just her brother, she dispelled a tense breath through her nose.

"Hey..." She spoke with a mouthful before swallowing, turning her attention back to the TV.

"What are you doing up this late?" Lincoln asked as he went around the back of the couch.

"I could ask you the same thing." The older teen replied, resting her head on one hand as she didn't take her eyes off the tube.

Lincoln sent a half-lidded stare towards his older sister. "Lynn..."

The brunette growled a little. "Alright, fine." She sat up straight. "I was having a nice dream...well, I think it was a memory..." Lynn shook her head. "Anyway, it was around the time I first started getting into sports. It was a child soccer game; you were there, mom and dad were too, and most of our sisters." She scratched her head. "I don't think Lisa and Lily were there since they weren't born yet."

Lincoln squinted his eyes a little to see if he could recall such an event. Unfortunately, given the number of games Lynn had during her career, it was probably buried under a pile of memories where he had been in attendance. He halfheartedly swore to himself at how Lynn had been unable to settle for one type of sport.

"So, I was celebrating with my team on our first ever victory," Lynn's face contorted into a hard glare, "Then _she _ showed up and tried to 'correct me' by saying that I was soaking up all the glory like a sponge and rubbing it in the other team's faces." The girl folded her arms. "Next thing I knew, I was watching myself doing the shuffle while kissing a gold trophy like it meant the world to me."

Lincoln bit his cheek. He didn't want to say it out loud for risk of getting punched, but it _kinda_ sounded a lot like Lynn back in the day.

"She made me look like a total bitch! I argued back and forth with her, saying that's totally_ not _what happened while the scene kept changing in the background like some kind of weird movie, and before I could wreck her face Lucy woke me up." Lynn's glare softened to a low simmer. "She said I was talking in my sleep again, so I just lied there in my bed doing nothing so I could at least try and get some shut eye." She rubbed one of her eyes. "Wasn't working, so I just got up and hoped I could find something boring on TV to help me sleep." Giving a side glance to her brother, "What about you?"

Lynn had something of a knowing look in her eyes. Lincoln didn't get up for much if anything else other than to use the can; a quick look past her brother to the clock on the wall told her that much. Lincoln always got up to use the bathroom around midnight; thankfully, he long moved past being worried about being predictable.

"Oh, um..." Lincoln started, biting his lower lip a little. "I...had to shower?" He gave a sheepish grin.

Lynn shook her head as she directed her full attention to him. "No you didn't. Your butt's been squeaky clean since you took one before bed." She sniffed the air a little. "_And,_ I don't even smell shower water."

Lincoln dropped his faux smile and sank his shoulders, staring depressingly at the couch cushions as Lynn spoke for him. "You had that dream again, didn't you?..." She spoke in a soft voice.

The middle child nodded. "_They_ were there...w-we tried to put up a fight..." A sniffle escaped him as Lincoln felt his eyes getting wetter. "But it was no good...t-they killed you, and I was next..."

_"And 2 weeks ago, Link said they took their time breaking all his bones..." _Lynn sighed inwardly. As much as she didn't like discussing Lincoln's extreme nightmares, she put a smile on her face in hopes it would stop his incoming waterworks. "Lincoln, we both know I'm not going anywhere. I told you this before, way back when my leg was dead weight, and I'll say it again: I could've taken those assholes if I didn't have to deal with six chumps first. Sure, I got my ass kicked," She placed a hand on his shoulder, "But it was worth keeping you safe." Lynn frowned a little as she recalled the bruises and blood the two bullies caused. "Mostly..."

"Lynn..." Lincoln started, wiping a tear away. "You nearly flatlined on the way to the hospital...you were lying there like you were struggling to breathe, and one of the guys in the ambulance told me there were signs of blood filling one of your lungs..." His fingers curled into fists on his lap as his face started to harden into a glare. "He had to stab you with a needle, or whatever it was, to draw the blood out. I could've lost you forever because I didn't move to do something, _anything_, to make them stop hurting you." Lynn removed her hand from him once he directed his heated gaze at her. "How can you even sound happy at something like that?!…" The boy nearly yelled, but managed to keep his volume to a harsh whisper.

Lynn's eye twitched, her brows furrowing as she fought the urge to slap him. "I'm sorry, would you prefer that I sit here and mope about what _could've _happened, like you? I got enough baggage on my plate just dealing with the bitch inside my head, and we both know she's around because of how much of an asshole I was as a sister years back..." Lincoln's glare softened as he started to regret his words. "I don't need to feel even worse at the fact I don't even know what those guys could've done to you when I was out cold. If anything, if I got taken out, I hoped to _at least _tire them enough so they'd leave." Her nose flared a little as she looked away from Lincoln, developing a slouched posture as she gazed at the floor. "You know the older sibling is supposed to protect the younger ones, right?"

Lincoln pursed his lips, his hardened gaze becoming lost as he gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah..."

"I didn't do my job properly back then by making you feel like you weren't my brother at first, so I wanted to do the _right_ thing by being there to protect you when you really needed it." Lynn looked up at the screen. "If you were the one that needed to get put in the ER, I'd be in jail right now for murdering every last one of them..." Lincoln sent a surprised look at Lynn as she turned to him. "Point is, I didn't care what happened to me so long as you stayed safe. You know Mom, Dad, and our older sisters would do the same to us; and you'd do the same to our younger ones." She smirked a little. "Isn't that why you beat the shit out of Chandler and his posse?"

A faint blush crossed his cheeks as Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah...I kinda lost it after hearing Lana scream."

"_Kinda? _You went _ballistic._" Lynn pointed out, ruffling his messy hairdo. "You're definitely your sister's protector, more than you know."

Lincoln chuckled a little as he removed Lynn's hand from his head. "Ok ok. Still..." He frowned with a serious look in his eye. "What if we do run into them again? They should've been out by now, and I don't know if those other guys you beat up-"

Lynn put a hand on her brother's mouth to quiet him. "Dude...all of those guys are from Hazeltuckey. Even if Hank and Hawk served their sentence, I doubt we'd run into them; especially since it's been two years. You're thinkin' that prison makes people tough like you see in the movies," The brunette formed a smug grin. "But there's a thing called 'prison bitches' for a reason. I'm willing to bet they didn't feel so tough after being in there for a year. Plus, most of the time, I think the guards are much more scary than the prisoners." She let go of his mouth. "Not only that, I think everyone in town knows about 'em; even if they did try something, the cops would be on them like an eagle on a fish."

Lincoln pursed his lips. "I guess...I haven't seen Chandler since 5th grade." He squinted his eyes in thought. "Actually, I don't even think he was in our school after that summer. My friends think he just moved, so I guess that might be true."

"See?" Lynn shifted her position so her legs were folded beneath her. "Now, you think you'll stop focusing on what _could _happen and worry about the now?"

Lincoln hummed in thought. "I guess...but they didn't have a problem wrecking our street for treats-" The teen became wide-eyed, his mouth agape as a loud gasp escaped him. "What if they know our address?!" Lincoln shouted, grabbing clumps of his head hair in fear.

Lynn quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. "SHHHHHHH! Geez, you trying to wake up the whole house?!"

"Sorry..." Came the boy's muffled response.

Letting him go and wiping her hand on the seat, "If they were that bent on revenge for scaring them shitless, don't you think they would've paid a visit _well _before any of this started?"

Lincoln opened his mouth, but Lynn cut him off. "_Annnd _they would've jumped you near the school?"

The Loud boy clamped his mouth shut, unable to come up with any other rebuttals to her claim.

"Just relax bro." Lynn stated as she sank in her seat, placing her hands behind her head as she looked back at the TV. "Last thing we all need is you worrying yourself to death. And if you keep getting nightmares," She sent a side glance his way with a grin on her face. "Just think of what you and Ronnie Anne can do...alone."

Lincoln's hair stood on end as his cheeks became as red as a tomato. "Buh..." He fidgeted awkwardly. "We aren't ready for..._that _kind of stuff..." He paused before quietly uttering, "Yet..."

Lynn raised a brow. "Do you guys at least use tongue when you make out?"

Lincoln, rather embarrassingly, shook his head.

The brunette gave a quick chortle. "Weeeeeeeak!" She declared whilst giving a thumbs down.

Lincoln puffed his cheeks as his brows furrowed a bit. "Oh shut up. You don't even have a boyfriend."

Lynn shrugged. "I could if I made the effort. Not that I'm interested in getting one right now."

Now it was Lincoln's turn to hold a grin. "Need a big, strong guy to compliment how short you are?"

Unfortunately, Lynn was quick to turn the tide, as a toothy smirk was etched on her face. "Need a manly girl to match your feminine side? Oh wait, you already do."

Then, Lincoln countered with, "At least I don't pretend I don't have a feminine side." He grinned at her.

Lynn then responded by plucking one of the couch pillows and throwing it at him. "You dork." She laughed, "I'm just not into wearing skinny jeans or tight clothes. At least I didn't moan about not having boobs like Luna did."

"True." The middle child gave a yawn, eyeing the clock on the wall. "Yeesh, it's almost two..."

Lynn raised a brow. "Heading back up?"

"Yeah." Lincoln scratched at his side. "You should too before you end up oversleeping, again."

Lynn rolled her eyes. Truth to be told, she was feeling exhaustion creeping in, just the feeling she was waiting for. She couldn't think if she was dead tired, which meant less arguing inside her head. Lincoln put out a fist, which the brunette returned as the two fist bumped. However, when he got up and walked past, Lynn felt a lingering smell flood her nostrils.

She scrunched up her face a bit before looking at her brother. "Hey." Lynn started, getting Lincoln to gaze at her whilst planting a foot on the steps. "Make sure you hit the showers first Stinkoln."

"Yeah yeah..." Lincoln waved dismissively before continuing his climb.

Lynn grabbed the half-empty bowl of popcorn, giving a shrug to herself as she settled on throwing it away; no one likes reheated popcorn anyways. Picking it up, Lynn stretched a bit as she stood, soon making her way to the kitchen. Once she was directly in front of the door however, the knob started to jiggle a bit. Stopping in her tracks, the brunette eyed the door curiously before seeing the knob slowly turn. Alarms immediately went off in her head; as far as she knew, everyone else in the house (sans Lincoln) was in bed counting sheep.

_"Like hell I'm gonna let us get robbed blind..."_ Lynn growled internally, gripping the bowl tight as she marched up to the door. _"Told Dad we needed a new lock on the front door..." _Raising it above her head, she forcibly pulled the door open and was about to give the intruder a face full of kernel and glass; until a familiar shriek caught her attention.

"Gah! Chill sis! Chill!" Luna shouted, her arms raised above her head in defense.

"Luna?" Lynn spoke in confusion. Eyeing the musician as she lowered her 'weapon', Lynn immediately caught sight of the rocker's precious axe. Her eyes formed a bored undertone as she tucked the bowl under her arm. "Late gig again?"

"Yeah, yeah." Luna replied, a brief flash of anger appearing on her face. "At least warn a gal next time before you decide to knock some heads."

"You didn't tell any of us that you were going out." Lynn countered.

Both girls heard shuffling in their parents' room, which Luna took her cue to leave. "You didn't see me!" She whispered before making her way up the stairs as quietly as possible.

The door opened to reveal a sleep-deprived Rita, who let out a somewhat irate groan as her tired eyes scanned the living room. She squinted a little from the glow of the TV, before soon settling on her fifth oldest daughter. "Lynn? What are you doing up so late?"

"Umm..." Junior started, debating as to whether she should lie or come clean. Sighing internally, she decided to wing it. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought a movie would help." Not a complete lie, but she left out the reason behind it all.

She didn't need to say it though, as Rita had been through this song and dance before. The best she could say was that Lynn had long moved on from that phase where she needed to physically unleash her stress. They didn't have enough money lying around to keep giving her sand bags. "Sweetie, I know you've been having trouble falling asleep, but don't you think there's a better way to handle this than watching old movies and eating junk food?" The matriarch inquired, placing a hand on her hip.

"Well, I'm not gonna get fat or anything from it. Me and Link still have a weekly schedule to go by."

"Yes, but it's not exactly..." Rita paused, her tired brain trying to find the right word. Unfortunately, nothing came to bear, so she just tossed that train out of her head; especially after seeing Lynn give a yawn while stretching. The mother sighed a little. "Just forget what I said and make sure you go to bed soon."

Lynn gave a curt nod, which satisfied her mother as she returned to her room. The brunette looked down at all the popcorn that littered the floor, being thankful it was too dark for her mom to see it.

The teen scowled a little as she bent down to clean her mess. "You so owe me one, Luna. She was probably out there shagging her girlfriend too..."

**A/N: So I originally thought this would be more than a simple sibling talk during the night, but I feel this is enough; especially since I'll have more planned for the next chapter. While Lincoln is experiencing night terrors, it's not to the level of Syn as he just regards them as annoyances; but he still has a right to be concerned. Not exactly sure what I'll do with Chandler though; even the show has barely used him and I don't have much of a reason to. Anyways, next time we'll get a bit more focus on the other siblings, especially Lily and her very talkative nature.**


	3. Big City Teens

**A/N: Now that it's clear Lincoln and Lynn are still having trouble leaving the past behind them, I feel it's time to look at the other side of the coin; and by that, I mean a second set of characters (for the moment at least). We'll now go to Great Lakes City (a bit of a bland name if you ask me) and take a look at the Casagrandes. Now, keep in mind that (although I've seen all the episodes) the characters for the extended family haven't grown on me. As such, my writing of them can be fickle.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The orange hue of the sun kissed the sky as it rose just above the horizon. Pigeons cooed as they were aroused from their slumber, looking to find any insects to snack on; or the occasional old person sitting on a bench tossing bird food. Cars honked irritably in the streets at slow drivers or jaywalkers, and the 7 am AMTRAK train was making its usual rounds during the morning peak traffic. In a city that never sleeps, the only way one could tell the time of day was based on how many people were out and about. And with all the traffic that piled up every morning, it certainly generated a noise that was almost equivalent to standing on an active ramp at an airport.

And speaking of that train...

One certain apartment was rocked with moderate vibrations as the train sped by, much to the annoyance of one of the tenants. Ronalda Anne Santiago gave a slight growl as she turned on her bed, trying to find a new position so she could resume her slumber. The Latina sighed in content upon resting on her side, giving a slight yawn as her brain started slipping back into dream mode.

A knock at the door put the brakes on that task just seconds later. "Nieta? Are you awake?"

Ronalda let out a frustrated groan as she pulled the covers over her head. _"Can't Abuela let me sleep for just 30 more minutes?!..."_ She screamed inwardly, knowing better than to sass her grandparent. "Yeah yeah, I'm up..." The teen moaned, hesitantly removing the sheets from her head as her eyelids parted slightly.

"Wonderful!" Rosa gave a satisfied smile. "Now come and eat your breakfast; you know I don't like it when you skip out on the most important meal of the day."

Ronalda sat up, her long locks covering her face as her shoulders sank. She parted her hair to reveal a displeased stare. "So much for sleeping in..."

Another heavy vibration shook her room, making the Latina glare at the tracks outside her window just as another train sped past. "Freaking trains..."

One of the things she definitely missed about her old neighborhood? It was quiet...

Not wanting her grandmother to come back and pry on her business, Ronalda swung her feet over the side before sliding them into a pair of pink fuzzy slippers. Standing up, the Latina indulged herself with a nice, long stretch; her spine gave a few, nice cracks that improved her mood only slightly. Scratching her side a little, Ronalda shuffled over to the door, only growing confused when she heard a soft patting near the base. In spite of her tired state, the teen's mind was working to figure out who it was. It definitely wasn't Lalo; the big Mastiff would most likely knock the door down given how he rammed into it before.

Not that it may or may not have happened once...or twice...

Based on the height, it was most likely one of her male cousins. Carlota (as well as Bobby) was _way _too tall to knock that low, and she usually peeked through the door before opening it fully anyways. Carlino and CJ were close to Ronnie Anne's height, so it couldn't possibly be them.

Ronnie Anne narrowed her eyelids. "Unless they're setting up a prank..."

She gripped the knob and cautiously opened the door, immediately darting her eyes up in case they went for the classic water bucket stint.

"Hai Ronnie Anne!" Came a very young voice as said teen felt something tapping her shins.

The tomboy looked down, a warm smile adorning her sleepy face as a certain 3 year old smiled at her, showing two rows of baby teeth that still had a few bones missing. "Hey little buddy." Ronalda spoke as she picked up Carlitos, shifting his weight a little so that he sat on her forearm. The toddler instinctively gripped her shoulder so he wouldn't fall. "Sleep well?"

"Yah. I had a funny dream though."

The tomboy raised a brow as she started walking them to the kitchen. "What was in it?"

"There was ice cream, and gummy bears, and Ana Ronalda was there, but I think it was actually you, and-"

"Woah, slow down there." Ronalda chuckled, silencing the toddler by putting a finger over his mouth. "Did you get into the ice cream tub again?"

Carlitos shook his head. "No? But I _really _wanted ice cream all night! Can I have some for breakfast?"

Ronalda gave a loud snort. "No?" The young boy gave a pouty look as his eyes started to water. However, the Latina wasn't fooled. "Hey, don't give me that. Believe me, if I could, I'd totally give you some ice cream for breakfast. Buuuut, your mom would kill me."

Carlitos folded his arms whilst making a displeased sound.

Ronalda smiled whilst ruffling his hair. "Aw come on, don't be like that." A devious grin took shape on her face. "Don't make me get out my _secret weapon._"

The toddler's eyes widened a bit, especially when he saw his older cousin sticking a finger into her mouth. "Noooo!"

"I still don't see a smile." Ronalda spoke, taking her finger out of her mouth.

Before the toddler could react, she lifted up his shirt and stuck it into his naval. Carlitos started laughing within an instant, squirming on Ronalda's arm as he tried to get away. The tomboy kept up her attack by tickling his stomach, making him laugh even harder. Ronalda had to stop when she felt Carlitos becoming off balance and was about to slip from her grasp, immediately bringing her hand to his back to keep him up right. As the boy's laughter died down, Ronalda placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I love you too." Carlitos replied back, wrapping his arms around the girl's neck in a tight hug.

If there was one thing Ronnie Anne would admit, she had a weakness for toddlers and babies. Bobby and Maria certainly knew about it, and Lincoln only discovered it after catching her playing with Lily whilst he was stuck doing some chores. It was a trait the Latina gained over the times she had to watch her youngest cousin when no one else could. At first, the tomboy didn't exactly like having to babysit as she typically had her own things to do, which usually involved hanging with her friends at the skatepark or being so focused on a game that Ronalda couldn't actually watch over him; it even messed up some plans she had with Lincoln during one of the few times he came to visit. Because of this, Ronalda felt she just wasn't an effective sitter; especially after the time Carlota left Carlitos in her care, only to lose track of him because she was too caught up trying to perfect a trick on her board. Thankfully, the baby just went back home, but Ronalda was certain her aunt and mother would tan her hide if they ever found out about her carelessness.

Fortunately, one of the good things about Carlitos' habit of mimicking others was that he learned to make various noises Ronalda made when she was casually entertaining him; it definitely became handy when he'd wander off while her back was turned, only for Ronalda to find the baby in the next room. Seriously, she could never understand why no one ever bothered teaching him to at least speak at his age; Ronalda was certain Lily was about as old as Carlitos, and she could already make a ton of noise, including attempts to say her siblings' names. So, being the endearing cousin she was, the Latina would often spend time teaching Carlitos how to speak; occasionally, Sid would join in by making bird calls only she would know. There wasn't much to gain from it, but they did serve as a way to keep the baby happy whenever he started to feel distressed.

And after those last 2 years, Carlitos was 3 years old, had a head so full of hair that Uncle Carlos had to cut it on a bi-weekly basis, and he could speak full, sometimes broken sentences. There was even a high probability that Carlitos saw Ronalda as a second older sister; one he felt closer to than Carlota, likely due to the smaller age gap. However, it might also be due to the fact the toddler would always seek out Ronnie when he wanted to play, even when she was clearly busy with schoolwork. And yet, Ronalda always made sure to set aside time for him, no matter how often the toddler asked.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Ronalda wasn't surprised to find her abuela hard at work making a_ feast _for breakfast. Hotcakes, bacon, burritos, hash browns, you name it. The tomboy let out a slight groan. There were five people and two pets living in this one apartment; eleven if you counted the frequent visits of Carlos and Frida's family. And yet, it seemed like every time Rosa cooked, you feel that she might've been practicing for Thanksgiving; and even _that_ was a bigger project than one would expect.

_"Good thing I take up running every week..." _Ronalda ranted inwardly, taking a moment to poke her side. _"I'd be as fat as CJ if I didn't get _SOME_ exercise..."_

Ronalda loved her grandmother, there was no denying that. But geez Rosa...ever learn to dial it back some? You could probably feed all the homeless in the city with how much she cooks. And speaking of breakfast, the Latina walked out past the entryway to find her brother, Lori, and Carol already eating. Not the first time she's seen it. Sometimes during the semester, the two blondes had just enough time in the morning to eat Rosa's cooking; unless they woke up late and decided to grab something on the way. Oh, and did I mention that the second option came with the worry that Rosa thinks probably weren't eating enough during the day?

Theatrics aside, the older teens had changed little over the years. Lori grew her hair out a little so it finally touched the back of her shoulders, whilst Carol did the opposite and had her locks trimmed a little so it her ends now hung around her mid upper back; she still had that dreadful curve that made Ronalda wonder if it was natural or some side effect from a conditioner. And speaking of curves, Ronnie Anne had noticed the two blondes had gotten a tad more, voluminous, for lack of a better word. This was evident by the numerous times the Latina had been woken up by the rhythmic squeaking of mattress springs coming from Bobby's room.

_"I don't want to become a grandmother until you two have full time jobs and a house in your name..."_ Was Maria's complaint the one time she caught the couple in the act; it only served to add more kerosene to the fire as they just moved their nighttime shenanigans to Lori's room. Ronalda wished she could forget about those rants Carol vented to her and Carlota about the lack of sleep, apparently assuming Ronalda was ready to be hearing stuff like that.

Just cause she's 13 doesn't mean Ronnie Anne wants to hear about her brother fucking his girlfriend...And speaking of her dimwitted brother, all he did was maybe grow a few inches and finally let some hair grow on his upper lip. Same old clutz who somehow still manages to get himself stuck in the freezer every now and then; but she couldn't ask for a more thoughtful and kindhearted older brother.

Ronalda let Carlitos down, who immediately went into the kitchen; likely to ask their abuela if he could get chocolate syrup to go with his pancakes again. "Hey guys."

"Hey Ronnie Anne." The trio greeted.

"Nice bed head." Carol added with a giggle.

The younger teen ran a few fingers through her hair, a smirk being drawn out as she inspected Carol's blonde locks. "I could say the same about you. You trying to bring the 80s back?"

Carol lightly touched the lower end of her frizzled and somewhat poofy hair. In comparison to Lori and Ronnie Anne's unkempt heads, hers looked like she came back from the hair dresser with a particular style.

"You almost look like Whitney." Lori chimed in with a smug grin.

"Well," Carol shrugged. "I think I pull off the look better."

The three girls laughed to themselves, with Bobby largely lost in translation. He didn't seem to care though, chalking it up to just girls having fun.

"So, what are you guys up to today?" Ronalda asked, piling 3 hotcakes onto her plate before reaching for the bacon.

"Helping Abuelo in the bodega." Bobby answered.

"Doing my shift at Mrs. Kernicky's flower shop." Lori replied before stuffing another piece of egg into her mouth.

"It's my day off, so I'm gonna head to the mall and get a new pair of flats." Carol shifted her right foot a little, feeling a dull ache being felt due to her tense muscles. "The bottom part of my right shoe nearly tore off when I was coming down the steps at college, and I nearly twisted my ankle..."

"Could've busted your face too if I didn't catch you." The eldest Loud remarked.

Carol gave her roommate a disapproving stare. "By pulling on my hair?..."

Lori gave a light shrug. "Well I tried grabbing your shirt, but your hair was in the way." She paused for a moment. "It's been two years, but it still feels a little weird not having Luan crack a joke every time we mention something."

"Me almost getting scalped isn't funny." The Pingrey teen fumed a little. "You already pulled several strands out."

"I said I was sorry!" Lori quickly retorted.

Bobby continued chewing as he watched the blondes have their little spat, finding it pretty amusing. He glanced at his sister, who remained oddly silent as she focused on her food. "So Nie Nie," Ronnie Anne pursed her lips before looking at him. "What are you doing today?"

The Latina frowned before swallowing her toast. "Still have school for another week..." She cast a look of jealousy at the others. "You guys are lucky you're already done..."

Bobby smiled. "Trust me sis. When you get to college, you'll understand why our classes end earlier in the month. Besides, aren't you already done with finals?"

"Yeah, but they still make us sit in the gym all day with nothing to do." Ronalda stabbed her fork into a piece of pancake. "I'd rather spend my time at the skatepark than staring at my phone all day..."

"Do they at least let you guys leave early if you have a doctor's appointment?" The older Santiago asked.

Ronnie Anne pursed her lips in thought, giving a roll of the shoulders a moment later. "I guess. They don't seem to take attendance from what I've noticed." She scratched the side of her head to dispel an itch. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Casey or Sameer in there the past two days."

Bobby hummed in thought. His eyes brightened when a clever ploy came to mind. "Well, how about this: I can come by and pick you up during my break."

Ronalda raised a brow. "Ok, but what are you gonna tell the staff?"

"You have a doctor's appointment." Bobby replied with a wide grin. "I mean, they don't ask where or who it is, right?"

"No?" The Latina answered as she mulled in thought. "Is it ok if Sid comes too? I doubt she'd wanna be left behind, lest she think I ditched her or something."

Bobby gave a light shrug. "I don't see a problem with it. Though you _may _wanna check and see if her parents are into it. You know, just so we don't get in trouble. I mean, I'm sure mom wouldn't mind, but still."

"Yeah yeah." Ronalda waved her hand dismissively. "I got it covered. Besides, the sooner we can finish school," She smiled wickedly, "The sooner we can get ready for our vacation."

"You mean visiting your boyfriend, right?" Ronalda dropped her smile upon catching site of Lori's cheese-eating grin. The other teens gave similar looks of approval.

The Latina faltered under their gaze, her cheeks becoming crimson as she took part of her hair and covered her face. _"Is this what Lincoln has to deal with when it comes to his sisters?..."_ She groaned inwardly. Knowing very well it was pointless to deny it, "Yes..."

From Ronnie Anne's perspective, it was hard to tell, but she could've sworn Lori's grin became even bigger. "Soooooo you guys have any dates planned?"

The Latina sent a blank stare towards the Loud. "...No..." She folded her arms. "Me and Link aren't all 'lovey dovey' like you two." She pointed a finger a her brother and Lori.

Carol snorted a little, thinking about her own boyfriend back home. It's been a while since they last called one another; unlike Lori, Carol used a bit more moderation in her weekly chats with her boo, which meant _not calling him every six hours._ When her thoughts drifted to Lincoln though, her smile dropped as a touchy subject came to mind. She already knew that the Santiagos weren't moving any time soon; the fact Ronnie Anne shut herself in her room for the remainder of that day made the Latina's feelings on the matter very transparent. One side glance to her peers told the Pingrey teen they had the same thought.

"Speaking of which..." Carol started, a pregnant pause filling the air with an unsettling tension that didn't go unnoticed by Ronnie Anne. "Did you tell him?"

The young teen remained silent as her lips became a thin line. She avoided looking at anyone as she said, "It went about as well as I thought."

"What does that mean?" Lori raised a brow. "Lincoln didn't flip out, did he?"

Ronalda furrowed her brows as she cast an irate look at the Loud. "No." She turned her attention back to her food, idly picking at it with her fork. "He was as disappointed as I was when Mom first broke it to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he hardly slept at night..."

"It can't be _that _bad." The Loud began. "You two held out for a couple years without issues, so what's another 3?"

Ronalda dispelled an irate sigh. "That's the thing: both of us hoped we'd be able to spend time together without needing a stupid bus ticket to do it. Do you know how much of a pain it is just waiting for a break in the school year?"

Carol raised a hand. "I can relate. My boyfriend is still back home, but it's no big." She shrugged a little on that last sentence. "I can always just drive down any time I want to see him."

The Latina growled. "Lucky you..."

Lori gave a half-lidded stare at the display of jealousy. "Look Ronnie Anne, we get it: long distance relationships suck. Most of the time, they literally fall apart-"

"Not helping..." Ronalda interrupted, shoving another piece of pancake into her mouth.

Lori gave a soft glare. "Let me finish..." The tomboy huffed before folding her arms. "Most of the time, they don't work out because either one or both persons are," She started counting off her fingers, "Unable to wait, lose interest and look for someone else, or feel their connection is gone and think it's better to remain friends." Lori put her hand down. "Now, do _any _of the things I just said apply to you or Lincoln?"

Ronalda stared down her mostly demolished breakfast as she picked through each option. There was definitely no shortage of interest since both she and Lincoln deeply wished to close the distance that separated them, same goes for the strong feelings she still felt for him. Plus, they had like...4 other girls in their social circle and Lincoln doesn't bat an eye. Aside from what was assumed to be competition from Stella, Lincoln only had his eyes on Ronalda. With the memories of that photoshopped prank made by Chandler still fresh in her mind, Ronnie Anne had zero doubts about Lincoln being faithful to her. A perfect example is the fact the Latina could easily see the giddiness in Lincoln's posture whenever they did their weekly video chats.

On her end, Ronalda can easily assure anyone she wouldn't trade her Linky-Poo for the world. Aside from Casey, Sameer, one of her neighbors, and her guy friends back in Royal Woods, most of the boys in her grade tend to be nuisances at best and assholes at worst; the rest she simply didn't care to know about. Truth to be told, her last conversation with Lincoln wasn't the only time some idiot looked at her like she was some hot piece of meat; it was however, the first time she had to send someone to the nurse's office. Maybe it was something she didn't quite understand as to why boys were ogling her, but while Carlota might like that kind of attention, Ronnie Anne Santiago sure as hell didn't. Sometimes the Latina wished Lincoln was around to teach them a lesson; and so she could privately swoon over him immediately after.

With all that said, Ronalda drew in a breath when she realized she hadn't been breathing. "No..." She averted their gaze. "It's just...I'm worried that we might, I don't know..." She finally found the heart to look at them. "I'm worried we might become that last option you said. I'll probably be in _high school _by the time we move back..."

Carol leaned in towards Lori and Bobby. "Definitely fears drifting apart." She whispered.

"Heard that..." Ronalda sneered at the Pingrey girl.

"Oh don't you worry about a thing Ronnie Anne." Rosa stated as she walked in with another plate of breakfast burritos in one hand, and Carlitos in the other. "Your situation is no different than the time me and Hector spent some years apart, and we were not much older than you kids." She set the plate on the table before addressing her youngest granddaughter. "The most important thing when you're concerned about being away from your lover, is to look _deep _within yourself and ask 'Am I willing to wait for the future?' Confidence is key Nieta, and I can rest assure you that it was that very confidence that I had for our future that made those 8 apart worth the wait."

Rosa set her grandson in a chair, who immediately stood up to reach for one of the burritos. "42 years and still going strong. But I assure you," She stared into Ronalda's eyes, " No relationship will last when it is built on lies and mistrust." The elderly woman smiled as she brushed her fingers through Ronalda's hair. "But yours with Lincoln is most certainly built on the love and trust you have for one another."

_"Well...we wouldn't have met if I hadn't started bullying him..." _Ronalda sighed inwardly. "We had a rocky start, but Lincoln forgave me for that moment in our history..." Her cheeks became faintly red as she knew what happened immediately after, though her skin soon returned to normal whilst giving a solemn stare at her plate. "But I still feel peachy every time I think about it..."

"It's not like he held it over your head Ronnie Anne." Bobby added. "Plus, you two pull pranks on each other all the time these days."

Ronalda narrowed her eyes a little. "Still can't believe I fell for that pie-in-a-box gag...either I'm getting rusty or Lincoln's getting better at pranking."

Lori took a short pause from sipping her orange juice. "Probably getting tips from Luan."

"Probably." Ronalda looked at her plate for the umpteenth time, her stomach throbbing slightly as her appetite was sated.

Unfortunately, with Rosa present, she couldn't really excuse herself from the table with an empty plate; last thing she wanted was her grandma thinking she was sick and whip up some concoction to "heal" her. Luckily, she always had a solution to that problem. Giving a subtle kick to one of the table legs, a couple glasses clanged on the top; not enough to catch the attention of the others, but to a certain Mastiff, that only meant one thing.

Lalo awoke from his bed in the living room, giving a happy bark before running towards the table. The the whole room rocked like earthquake from the massive dog's weight, nearly making some of the plates slide and nearly fall over, if Rosa wasn't quick to nab them.

"Mi parabla! Heel Lalo! Heel!" The grandmother protested as the mastiff jumped circles around the table. The others tried in vain to command the canine to obey them, except for Ronalda (who was busy stifling her laughter).

Lori grabbed her plate and her glass to keep them from toppling over, Carol felt the air rush out of her lungs as she was inadvertently smooshed up against the table, and Bobby gave a not so manly scream when the vibration of the table knocked his coffee mug over, spilling the contents onto his trousers. Rosa moved the dishware towards the center of the table before raising her voice once more, but Lalo still failed to heed her call.

In the midst of all this, Ronnie Anne took her plate and sat it on the floor next to her chair. Putting two fingers in her mouth, she whistled loud enough to get the dog's attention. "Lalo! Sit!" She pointed at the spot next to her.

Lalo barked before calmly trotting to Ronalda, soon sitting upright whilst panting happily. The Latina gave a smug grin as she rubbed the top of his head. "Goooood boy." In response, the massive mutt gave a big, long lick to her face, leaving her cheek damp as well as part of her hair standing on end.

"Well..." Rosa huffed as she began rearranging the plates back to their proper positions. "At least he listens to _someone _in this apartment."

"Yeah..." Lori narrowed her eyes at the young teen. "He sure does..."

Ronalda pretended to not notice the sinister undertone in Lori's voice as she straightened her hair out; Lalo was already busy licking her plate clean. As an added bonus, Ronalda waited until everyone was busy for a few seconds before slipping the dog a burrito. She pulled her plate off the floor a moment later as Lalo finished his breakfast.

Pushing her chair back, "Thanks for the breakfast Abuela." Ronalda speed walked into the kitchen and deposited her plate into the sink. _"Hopefully she won't pack me a big lunch again."_ Was the tomboy's hopeful thought as she came out and turned towards her room.

"Don't forget to grab the lunch I packed for you Ronnie Anne!" Rosa's call followed after her.

Ronalda gave a frustrated sigh as she reached her door. "Dang it..."

* * *

One of the good things about the last week of school? You get to sit on your ass and do absolutely...nothing...

And unfortunately, that was exactly the problem for Ronnie Anne. She noticed there weren't nearly as many students as there was on Friday, probably having the same thoughts to ditch the dump that was now starting to border on a prison. Just as she expected, what remained of the student body was holed up inside the gymnasium doing whatever they wanted; playing hoops, sitting on the bleachers, doing dodgeball, the works. Not in the mood for any of these activities, ,Ronalda was satisfied keeping her butt planted in her seat until her brother arrived. Though, she did admit her ass was starting to feel a little sore from sitting for hours; bleacher seats were never comfortable to begin with.

The Latina drew in a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, casually browsing the internet on her android phone. She had half a mind to call Lincoln and see what he was up to, just to pass the time. Ronalda knew the school system in Royal Woods was roughly the same as hers; unless they made some changes like building that new middle school. So, she deduced that he'd most likely be stuck in the same situation she was in.

But...

Even if she did call him, what would they talk about? This morning's conversation was certainly number 1 on her list, and Ronalda was itching to have a moment of peace to discuss it with her boyfriend; maybe work on a new commitment even. However, Ronalda knew very well that phone conversations weren't always private; you could ask either of them how many times they threw open their doors to find a pile of siblings or family members trying to pry in on their business. And on a topic this sensitive, the Latina felt that method wouldn't suit her or Lincoln well. Fortunately, she only had six days left before she'd be visiting him again; her patience might have issues with this however.

The feeling of something nudging her leg pulled Ronalda from her thoughts, making her glance at her best friend and neighbor. "So, whatcha thinking of doing when we go on vacay next week?"

The Latina shrugged. "Probably won't know until we get down there Sid."

"Pretty sure she's thinking of one thing in particular." A tall girl to the Latina's right stated with a toothy grin. Ronalda gave a side glance to the blonde, only to grow wide-eyed as the girl made a particular movement with her hand whilst making her tongue poke the side of her open mouth. Sid started to laugh out loud when the tall girl then stuck her tongue between two fingers.

Furrowing her brows, the Latina took a swat at her skater friend with her foot. "It's not gonna be like _that _Nikki!" She folded her arms, staring at nothing in particular before quietly muttering, "I'm not even sure if Lincoln is ready for that kind of stuff yet..."

Nikki chuckled. "Are you?"

Ronalda slowly turned her head towards the tall blonde. "Want me to give you a firsthand experience of what I did to that boy last week?..."

Nikki smiled sheepishly as she raised her hands in defense. "All you had to say was 'no'."

"Wanna come with us Nik?" Sid asked enthusiastically. "Would definitely kill the boredom that's a 4 hour drive."

Ronalda chortled a little. "Please. You'll be asleep after the first hour."

"Nah." Nikki put her hands behind her head as she leaned back. "Made plans to visit my dad in Florida; though, it was mostly _his _idea. Mom doesn't really want me to go, but Dad apparently gave her 4k so I could be with him for a few weeks."

"They're still having that custody issue?" Ronalda asked. Nikki gave a slight hand wave, to which the Latina shrugged before idly scanning the gym floor. "Speaking of which, y'all seen Casey and Sameer? They ought to be in here suffering like we are."

"Casey was getting those braces his mom was talking about, and Sameer is already on vacay in Orlando." Nikki stated, kicking one leg over the other.

Ronalda pouted a little. "Lucky them..."

"Ah don't cry." The tall blonde joked. "Sides, isn't your bro gonna be here soon?"

"Yeah." Ronalda blew a strand of hair out of her vision. "For another two-"

The bell chimed, momentarily cutting her off. Ronalda was about to continue when a voice came over the PA system. "Ronalda Santiago and Sid Chang, please report to the front office. Someone is here to pick you up."

A huge grin formed on Sid's face. "Seconds?"

Ronalda raised a brow, glancing at the time on her phone. "Weird...Bobby doesn't go on break til one..."

"Who cares?" Nikki stretched her legs out before standing up. "It's still a free ride right? Got room for one more?"

The Latina snorted a little. "How's someone like _you_ gonna slip past the staff?"

"Trust me hon." Nikki kept an air of confidence whilst returning the smirk Ronnie was giving her. "I've been going to this school longer than both of you. I know a few shortcuts."

Ronalda shrugged. "Hah, if you say so."

Standing up, she motioned for Sid to follow. One of the teachers let them out into the hallway, which was eerily silent due to most of the students having started their vacations early. The duo wheeled their heads around when they heard the doors opening again, Nikki stepping out with a whistle to her step. She flashed the girls with a wink before heading in the opposite direction.

Ronalda gave a sigh. "This is probably the _only _time I like school. Peace, quiet, and away from all the other weirdos."

"Ahh I wouldn't say it's that bad." Sid stated. "Well, aside from people blocking the halls just to talk and occasionally the fights that go on."

"I know right? Remember that one brawl last month?" Ronalda threw her hands into the air. "And it just HAD to be in the hallway our lockers were on."

"Buuuuut," A smile graced Sid's lips. "We did have some fun this year. Remember those pranks we did on April Fools Day?"

Ronalda stifled a laugh. "Those jocks had it coming, thinking they could walk all over everyone just because they play football." She rested her hands behind her back. "Almost reminds me of another girl I know."

Sid raised a brow. "I don't play sports..."

The Latina sent a dull stare towards her friend. "Not you. I was talking about Lynn."

"Oooooh." Sid nodded, though her confusion was evident by the way she slouched a little to one side. "Which sister is she again?"

Rolling her eyes, "The brown haired one about our height. You'll see her when we get down there. She'd be easy to pick out since she usually wears jerseys, but she stopped doing that a while ago."

The Chinese American only gave a cut nod. "And you said Lincoln had _ten siblings_?" Ronalda nodded. "Wow...either Mrs. Loud had some serious curves, or his parents were _that _busy..."

Ronalda narrowed her eyes a little. "I really don't want to think about it...that's the same excuse as to why I have 4 cousins from the same aunt and uncle. And I'd hate to say it, but I think Abuela might have something to do with it."

"What makes you say that?"

Ronalda dropped her hands to her sides. "Well, my aunt isn't exactly fat, but she does have some big hips. And have you _seen _Carlota? She goes to the gym every week, but I think she's got a bigger set than her mom's! I don't really get why Abuela cooks so much food; well, she feeds 10 people, so there's that. And CJ is _clearly _a bit overweight for his age. Although..." She tapped her chin. "Carlino and Carlitos aren't fat, just pudgy. And that could be baby fat..."

Whilst Ronalda was getting lost in her thoughts, Sid casually looked her friend over. She knew the Santiago often went for a jog every weekend to keep herself in shape, a carryover from the times the Latina did so with Lynn. Plus, she was worried about gaining an uncomfortable set of pounds; for better clarity, Lisa even confirmed that working out on a schedule would help keep her metabolism up, ergo burning off excess body fat. Judging from how well her waist fitted in her shorts, Sid can definitely assume the Latina was thin; or average, not that she knew much about the age to weight ratio. However, upon bringing her gaze below the waistline...

A smirk grew on the Asian girl's face. "Looks like you're gaining weight _somewhere._"

Ronalda shook her head as Sid's words echoed in her brain. "What?!" She immediately pulled up her t-shirt to look at her stomach. "I've been running nonstop every Saturday for two months! How am I gaining anything?!"

"Pfff. Not _there._" Sid chuckled as she brought her hand up.

The next thing anyone heard in the halls was an audible smack followed by a girlish yelp.

"What the hell Sid?!" Ronalda yelled as she quickly turned towards the Chinese American, her cheeks as red as a tomato whilst covering her butt with both hands.

"You ever look at yourself in the mirror lately? And by that, I mean checking yourself out. It's obvious your butt and thighs are getting bigger; might be why the boys keep staring at you."

Sid watched as Ronalda dropped the look of anger to that of confusion or horror; she also could've sworn her entire face was becoming reddish. In truth, the Latina was in the midst of recalling how much she had grown over the past two years. Growing nearly half a foot was natural in the cycle that was the aging process; and with that came bigger clothing. For Ronnie Anne, that also meant getting a few "extras". It wasn't that she didn't notice she was in the process of maturing into a grown woman, especially when the teen noticed her chest became big enough to the point she begrudgingly went with Carlota for bra shopping; Ronalda thanked whatever God there was that she was allowed to pick the style, knowing her cousin would try to slip her into something skimpy.

And now that she was on the subject, Ronalda recalled the main reason why she had to get new pants 3 times over the past two years: they either became difficult to pull up over her rear or felt uncomfortable to wear. Originally, she just chalked it up to her clothes shrinking in the wash. Looking down at her legs, she did admit they widened a good amount since she was 11. The tomboy dared to touch her bottom, feeling a slightly above normal level of fat, yet it still felt firm and tight.

_"Holy crap...Sid's right! How people have been staring at me when I walked past them? Is this thing the reason why that boy tried to touch me?!" _Ronalda panicked internally just thinking about the many pairs of eyes that were glued to her. It was just like that stage play back in elementary school, only now she was being eyed at by perverts!

Her internal fears must've became more pronounced, seeing as Sid gripped Ronalda by the shoulders and started to shake her back and forth. "Ronnie! Come on girl, snap out of it!" Unfortunately, the Latina's uneven and loud breathing didn't end, forcing the Chang girl to slap her.

Ronalda was stuck frozen for a moment, her vision all over the place before the stinging in her cheek cried for attention. She blinked a few times whilst rubbing the sore spot on her face. "...I was freaking out again wasn't I?..."

Sid nodded. "A lot actually." Folding her arms, "What's the deal man?"

"The _deal,_" Ronalda furrowed her brows as she cast a cold glare at her friend. "Is that you made me realize I'm a freaking magnet for pervs!"

"Oooooh..." Sid fidgeted a little. "Probably shouldn't have pointed that out..."

"Well what am I supposed to do about _this_?!" She pointed at her bum. "I don't wanna have to wear baggy pants for the rest my life!"

Sid had a dull stare on her face. "Ronnie Anne, you might be overthinking this."

"That's easy for you to say." The Latina fired out as she gestured towards Sid's body. "You're still thin as a board!"

Sid's mouth dropped a little as a hurt look took shape. "Ok, ouch?" It didn't last long as she put up a neutral face. "But I'm serious Ronalda. You're not the only girl guys in our grade are checking out. I've gotten like, 5 boys asking me to be their girlfriend. Obviously, I turned them all down cause I barely knew them. I mean, yeah it sucks our peers seem to be full of pervs and weirdos, but all their dreams are just gonna be stupid fantasies."

"Where are you going with this Sid?"

"They can stare all they want, but they aren't gonna get any. Besides, if you're worried about looking more like your cousin, I'd say you're wrong cause you have your mom's genes."

"Uhhh?..." Ronalda had a brow raised as she was unable to form a good reply.

"Well, think of it like this: when traits are passed from the parent to the offspring, there are dominant and recessive genes. And according to the Punnett Square, or just by looking between you and your mom, you already have her hair, face, and eyes. But those are just the basics. So," Sid mumbled to herself as she visualized the chart in her head. "If we were to take into account her actual body dimensions, then you'd very likely have hips and legs like hers, and-" The Chinese American paused upon noticing the same confused stare Ronnie Anne was giving her. Her lids dropped halfway in disbelief. "You weren't paying attention in biology were you?.."

Inside Ronalda's head, a brief flashback occurs in which she was shown to be either surfing the internet on her phone, playing games on her phone, or pretending to take notes, but was actually asleep. "What happens if I say yes?"

"I'll call you a bad liar." Sid smiled a little. "I'll be surprised if you get anything higher than a C in that class."

"B." Ronalda smirked. "Why do you think I kept asking you all those questions?"

"Ooooo, that cuts me deep." Sid mocked, placing a hand over her chest. "And I thought you just wanted to hang."

Both girls took a moment to share a laugh.

"But, for reals though. You shouldn't worry so much about growing a nice butt. Many girls would _kill_ to have something like that at our age, and you're only 13! Imagine what you'd look like when you become an adult?" Sid's eyes widened a little as a particular opportunity presented itself. "Or better yet," A toothy grin graced her lips. "Think of how much _Lincoln_ might enjoy it. I mean, he's pretty much gonna be the only boy allowed to touch you there."

Ronalda brought a hand to her face, her frustration coming out in growls. "Seriously, what is it with you and Nikki being such pervs?..."

Sid placed a hand on Ronalda's shoulder. "Comes with growing up girl. Besides, everyone develops differently. Nikki is only a year older than us, but she's tall as heck and doesn't look to be getting any curves soon, I went up a bra size this past year, and your growing a nice butt." This made the Santiago glance down at her friend's chest, though it was hard to tell with the baggy shirt she was wearing. "Aside from the fact our hormones will be running crazy for a bit, at least we aren't fantasizing about having sex with anyone."

The Latina rolled her eyes. "Keep up that attitude and eventually you will..."

Turning the corner, they reached the front lobby, not seeing anyone standing around. Ronalda walked up to the main office, poking her head in and catching the attention of one of the secretaries. "Um, is someone here to pick us up?"

"Yeah, she's outside." The man replied in a bored tone.

_"She?..."_ Ronalda squinted her eyes in thought as she stepped back into the lobby.

"Outside?" Sid thumbed the doors.

"Yep." Ronalda walked over to the doors, a sense of dread filling her stomach as only a few people would've been available to pick her up. As she pushed open the doors, _"Please, PLEASE don't let it be-" _

"HEEEY BABES!" Carlota called from the driver seat of her car. Nikki was already there, leaning against the trunk as she browsed on her phone.

"Mierda..." Ronalda muttered to herself.

Nikki glanced up from her mobile, a small grin forming. "Took y'all long enough."

"How'd you get out here so fast?" Sid asked.

"As slow as you guys were going, I didn't have to rush." Nikki thumbed towards school. Both girls turned to see an open window in one of the ground floor classrooms. "Told ya I knew a shortcut."

"Riiiiight." Ronalda spoke dryly. She walked around to the front passenger seat while Sid and Nikki slipped into the back.

Carlota hadn't changed much over the years, still keeping the same hairstyle and all; but her wardrobe certainly did. She ditched the teal dress in exchange for more casual wear that still hugged her figure perfectly. And as much as Ronalda loved her cousin, Carlota was easily the 3rd most likely person to embarrass her after her mom and grandma.

"So, how was school?" The oldest teen asked, pulling away from the curb and settling into the noon traffic.

"Boring as hell..." Ronalda folded her arms before giving a side glance towards the buxom Latina. "Weren't you supposed to be at work today?"

"Oh I was." Carlota smiled. "But I was on my break and Bobby called me to do this little favor for you."

Ronalda raised a brow for a few seconds, wondering why Bobby had to cancel, only to form an unsurprising gaze when she figured out the obvious. "Freezer again?..."

Carlota snapped her fingers, indicating she was right. "Honestly, grandpa really needs to ban Roberto from entering the freezer." She hung a left, only to hit the brakes hard. The other passengers lurched forward moderately as someone on a moped zipped through the bike lane, nearly hitting the left headlight.

_"Watch where you're going asshole!" _Carlota shouted in her native tongue. Taking a few seconds to simmer down, "Anyway, I gotta get back on the job real quick, so I hope you girls don't mind hanging out in the mall for a bit."

"No complaints here." Nikki piped up. "Needed to swing by Skater Pro for my busted wheel anyway."

"You think Twelve is Midnight has their new album out?" Sid asked.

Ronalda let out a gasp. "Duuuude," She twisted around in her seat. "I forgot to check this morning! But they should have it on sale by now."

"Speaking of sale," Carlota grinned. "My store has one going on, and I found the cutest bra for you!"

Nikki and Sid stifled their laughter whilst the Santiago glared at her cousin. "Really Carlota? Really?!"

"Aw stop acting so embarrassed about it." Carlota replied as she waved her hand dismissively. "We're all girls here."

"I swear," Ronalda pointed at Carlota as her tone developed an acidic feel to it. "If you try to make me wear some stupid, frilly stuff-"

"Relax!" The older teen returned a glare of her own. Ronalda may have been rebellious, but even she knew when it was best not to cross certain boundaries; one of those being when Carlota was irritated. She gave a huff in contempt, which the Casagrande took as her cue to continue. "I know that stuff isn't your style, so I found something I think you'll like." Focusing back on the road, "Trust me. You'll thank me for this later."

_"We'll see about that..." _Ronalda growled inwardly. _"God, being a teen_ sucks..."

**A/N: Indeed it does, and I can tell you for certain my middle school years were hell. High School was almost like someone hit my whole grade with the maturity stick. Anyway, Ronnie Anne has adjusted quite well for her life in the city. I might go into some detail about the harsh environment of living in downtown areas a bit later, as The Spies Who Loved Me did have some justification for the grandparents being worried. Kids can often get lost or go missing in large cities, and can be easy targets for unsavory people; even supposedly safe cities. **

**In response to a question asking about whether there will be fighting scenes: with me, it varies depending on whether it would be suitable to use one. However, you can expect at least one or two somewhere. We'll check in on the Louds next time to see what their plans are for the summer.**


	4. A Moment of Reflection

**A/N: While Carlota is busy buying better form-fitting clothes for her cousin, let's shift things back to the other side of the coin. I don't expect too much about this chapter, but my mind can come up with whatever seems relevant when I'm writing, so we'll see.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The bell chimed at Royal Woods Middle School, although not a soul was present on the grounds surrounding the new building. Seconds later though, the front doors were kicked open as what remained of the student body exited the facility, some of which expressing their relief at the end of their suffering. One particular group of boys shuffled their way out of the building, all of them fixated on starting their summer vacations early.

"Thank GOD it's finally over..." Rusty groaned, idly thumbing through his phone.

"Anyone else thinking about skipping the rest of the week? I'm not sitting on my ass for doing nothing for another six hours." Conner stated, hooking his thumbs on the entrance of his pockets.

"I would, if I can convince me Ma to let me." Liam replied in a dejected tone. "She says education is important, but I'd rather watch paint dry than stay in that hellhole if I ain't doin' squat. Pardon mah language."

"You ever find it weird how our teachers and parents don't like us dropping swears, yet we see other kids doing it anyway?" Zach asked out of curiosity, blankly staring up at the sky.

"It's just a thing about respect. Me Pa nearly tanned mah hide when I let one loose after steppin' on the business end of a rake while I was carryin' the eggs." The farm boy stated, the foot in question having its toes curled instinctively at the memory.

"I hope you got shots for that." Clyde chimed in. "Who knows what that thing's been used for."

Liam waved a hand dismissively. "Ah, it was nothin' a good foot rub couldn't fix. Didn't break the skin either."

"It would've been funny it you ended up making the handle smack you in the face." The only blonde of the group chuckled. "Like in those cartoons back in the day."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Last thing ah need is 'nother gap in mah teeth."

"You're lucky then. My dad's already thinking about getting me _braces_." Rusty shuddered at that last word. "Do these perfect teeth even _look _like they need to be caged?" His lips parted to show his teeth.

Zach gave the tall boy a half-lidded stare whilst idly scanning his 'smile bones'. "Uh, yeah? I can see a few of them being off-center from a mile away. And when was the last time you brushed?"

Rusty pouted a little. "This morning." He put a hand to his face and let out a short breath, the look of disgust becoming more apparent as the stench filled his nose. "Should've snuck off school to get some _real_ food during lunch...Margo isn't gonna want any later if I don't brush..."

"I thought elementary school food was worse, but middle school..." Conner shook his head. "Is half that stuff even _cooked_?"

"_All_ school food is bad." Clyde stated, a smile gracing his face. "That's why my dads still pack me a lunch. Plus, some of that stuff is just flat out _unhealthy._ Remember how Stella got sick because of the green beans she ate?"

"And her ma was threatenin' to sue the school?" Liam gave a curt laugh. "Those were the days. Still wish I saw the principal's face when the Super Intendent came over here and chewed 'em out."

"Honestly, I _kinda _miss Huggins." Conner smirked as he thought about the former K-8 school. "He was boring as hell," He shrugged. "But at least he knew what he was doing."

Clyde shook his head. "That's not what I heard from Haiku when he used to run the book club. He was so much of a 'Follow the Rules' type of guy that it basically ruined any kind of fun they would've had."

Conner raised a brow. A faint memory came to the forefront of his mind as he recalled Lincoln mentioning that same club some time last year. "Hey Link, isn't your sister in that club?" He didn't get an immediate response, prompting him to glance back. "Lincoln?"

The other boys turned to notice their white-haired friend was significantly lagging behind, his face a little dull as he stared up at the clouds. Before anyone could grab his attention, Rusty's phone started to ring.

The tall redhead smiled upon seeing a certain someone's face appear on the caller ID. With a swift tap to the screen, he put it up to his ear. "Hello gorgeous, you've reached yours truly." He spoke in a sultry tone. He remained silent for a moment as the boys could hear a voice on the line. "Yeah, I totally got time. When do ya wanna hang?" Rusty pulled the phone away for a second to glance at the mobile's clock. "Sounds good babe. See ya then." Pocketing this phone, "Sorry Ladies, but this guy's-" He pointed to himself. "Gotta get ready for his date tonight."

Rusty parted from the group with a bit of a dance to his step, humming to himself in confidence.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's still weird that he actually has a _girlfriend._" Zach stated once he was certain Rusty was far enough away.

"At least he's not saying he has one, only for it to be a ruse." The farmboy nodded in agreement.

Clyde snorted a little. "And with _Margo _no less. I still don't know what she saw in him."

Conner formed a cheesy grin. "I can think of a few-HKK!" He was cut off when Lincoln bumped into him, forcing the Pingry boy to stumble forward while the impact itself promptly knocked the Loud off his thought train.

"Oh, sorry!" Lincoln said quickly.

"Geez dude, what's with you being braindead?" The blonde asked in an irate tone.

"Just..." Lincoln gave himself a moment of pause. "Thinking about some stuff..."

"If it's about Ronnie Anne, we get it." Clyde spoke in an even tone. "She's really far away and you can only see her at certain times of the year." He paused before muttering, "For the twentieth time you've told me..."

"Ain't she comin' down next week?" The farm boy asked.

Lincoln nodded. "End of the week," He clarified, "But it's something else I'm droning on about..."

"Liiiiike?" Zach asked.

The Loud stuffed his hands into his pockets. "...She's still a few years off from moving back..."

The boys gave a collective hum of understanding. After Ronnie moved away, there was some doubt as to whether Lincoln and the Santiago could maintain their newfound relationship in spite of being 200 miles apart. Like Ronnie Anne, Lincoln was well aware of the painful amount of planning that would be required to make a visit in advance, especially since free rides were very limited after Lori moved away; bus and train tickets were always an option, but certainly not the best from a financial perspective. But Lincoln weathered the storm, even if it took a chunk out of his allowance; and it was this level of commitment that had the boys backing Lincoln at every turn.

"She say how long?" Conner asked out of curiosity.

Lincoln grimaced a little. "About the time we're seniors in high school from what she guessed..."

"Well that ain't far." Liam stated. "Already finishing up 7th grade, and we start 8th in a couple months after all the fun stuff is over." He shoved his hands in the lower pockets of his overalls. "Don't know about you fellers, but these years are goin' by quick."

Zach nodded. "Yeah, so what's a few years gonna do?"

Lincoln gave a dry laugh. "That's what Lynn said last night, and she's still hasn't gotten over what happened two years ago..."

Clyde stiffened a little at this. Even today, he was the only other person aside from Lincoln that fully understood what the former jock was going through. Others, including Conner, just assumed it was a moment where her pride was shattered; who wouldn't be mellow after getting their ass stomped into the ground? But even so, there was a lot more under the surface that stretched deeper than Lincoln's troubling relationship.

"To be fair Lincoln," The African American started, "Lynn's problem is much different from yours. I mean, if you and Ronnie Anne can hold out for a little longer, then it shouldn't be a problem. Lynn on the other hand," He paused as he recalled their last discussion. "She could use a serious confidence boost. Though now, I think _both_ of you could in the grand scheme of things..."

Lincoln sighed inwardly. "I guess..."

"Shoot." Liam smiled. "If you need a confidence boost, puttin' a little hair on yer chest ought to do the trick."

Zach sent an unamused stare towards the farm boy. "How's gluing hair to himself gonna help?"

Conner slapped his forehead. "That's not what it means idiot..."

Liam was about to give a retort to Zach's misinterpretation, but his phone buzzed for a few seconds. He stuck a few fingers into his breast pocket and pulled it out, taking only a few seconds to look at the screen before giving a sigh. "Welp, I gotta run. One of the goats got loose again, and I gotta help mah sister ring 'em in." He started down the sidewalk. "Catch y'all tomorrow! Or whenever!"

Zach shrugged. "Welp, that Xbox isn't gonna play itself." The short redhead walked across the street.

Conner snorted. "He's still behind everyone else in the game." Like those before him, the Pingry's phone chimed to indicate an incoming text. It only took a few seconds of eyeballing before the 14 year old rolled his vision sacks. "I'm out. Cassy's starting to worry again. We're still doing a game session tonight right?"

"Yeah." Lincoln replied, a light grin forming on his lips. "Just don't throw a fit about how many times the COV keep shooting rockets at you."

"Pfff. I'm still valid in the fact that, for some stupid reason, the devs couldn't just give some of them LMGs. And most of the rockets do radiation damage." Conner turned down the street, thumbing a reply to his sister.

_[Heading home still. Keep your shirt on...]_

With the two of them alone, Clyde addressed his friend in a more concerned tone. "So what's _really _on your mind Lincoln? If it was just about Ronnie Anne, then you wouldn't have been spacing out all day."

"Yeah, it's not just Ronalda." Lincoln stared Clyde in the eye. "It's Lynn too..."

"I figured..." Clyde muttered under his breath.

"I'm pretty sure she told you about how she's growing interested in sports again, right?" Clyde nodded, to which Lincoln folded his arms. "Then I'm pretty sure you saw how torn up she feels just thinking about it. I mean, I've caught her watching whatever games happened to be on TV with this sad look in her eye...she wants to take them up again, but she's hurting herself by holding back..."

"It's not that easy Lincoln." Clyde interjected. "She's worried she might become the same person that started the whole 'bad luck' incident." The nerdy teen glanced to the side. "If it was as bad as you guys said it was, then I can see why she'd be worried."

Lincoln furrowed his brows a little. "But she's not going to get like that..."

Clyde raised a brow. "How do you know?"

"Because I've known Lynn ever since I've been in diapers." Lincoln spoke with an air of certainty. "I know that being on the competitive side of things made her cocky, but she wasn't always like that..." Looking up at the clouds, "When we were younger, Lynn was pretty playful and _probably _a little overprotective of me. Sometimes when we played games with each other, it always in good fun and it didn't matter to her whether she won or lost. Not sure if I'm right on this," Lincoln looked back at Clyde. "But I think over time, constantly doing all those sports made Lynn focus too much on winning instead of enjoying herself." He glanced to the side. "Annnnd probably being around Lucy made her start some gross habits like holding in her crap until she won."

Clyde cringed a little. "She told me that, but I didn't want to believe it..."

"But what I'm saying is, Lynn can still do sports. She just has to remember to have _fun_." Lincoln pointed out. "Sports was pretty much her life, or at least a big part of it. I wasn't sure if she'd really stop with sports after we made up, but she won't even touch a jersey and threw out all the ones she had. That's like Leni giving up fashion or Lucy becoming less of an emo."

The African American nodded. "Ok, but like I said: Lynn's gonna need a lot of support if she wants to take that up again; and I'm not sure if us just talking to her is enough." He rapped his fingers on his arm. "I may not be Dr. Lopez, but this just seems like something Lynn has to do on her own."

Lincoln released a sigh. "That's why I'm worried..." A pregnant pause filled the air between them before the Loud continued. "When Lynn used to get...competitive...she doesn't hold back and goes all in. If you've ever played a board game with her, all it'd take is one game before you'd be done with it."

Clyde couldn't help the small grin that worked its way out. "Least I know why you had 'Loser' shaved on your head."

The Loud glowered a little. "At least she apologized for that..." Pursing his lips for a moment, "She said we could be even if I did the same to her, but I didn't do it since it was a while ago. But back to my point: Lynn isn't gonna push herself because being so fierce about _any _competition is what made her act like a bitch. Buuuut," Lincoln started to smile. "I believe I know someone who can encourage her to take up her passion again."

Clyde raised a brow. "Who? Ronnie Anne?"

"Close, but I meant _you_ Clyde." The white-haired teen patted his friend's arm. "Ronnie Anne is like a twin sister to Lynn, so she'll definitely be a part of this; but you've been acting as Lynn's therapist ever since she started dealing with this..." He his eyelids narrowed as he tried to find the right words. "Second personality of hers." He frowned a little. "I really hoped she would've quit it by now, and I can tell Mom and Dad are still thinking of making her see a real shrink; but I doubt that'd help."

"I'm trying my best Lincoln. I mean, if I could, I'd go inside her head and yank out whatever bad thoughts she has. And-" Clyde paused for a moment. "Wait, that sounds like something Lisa might do."

Lincoln gave a light chuckle. "She did try that once, but canned the whole project because it caused the animals she tested it on to go crazy."

"Well..." Clyde scratched his growing facial hair. "If you think I have a better shot at helping her, then I'll try. I just hope she doesn't think I'm trying to ask her out-" He cut himself off immediately upon realizing what he just said. "I-I mean, not that I wouldn't _want_ her to. No, wait wait wait! That came out wrong! She's a cool person and I could hang out with her, and-"

The Loud snorted a little as the nerdy teen's cheeks were growing red. "I get it Clyde. Just try not to get in over your head, Romeo."

"Riiiiiight." Clyde gave a shaky laugh. Thankfully, his phone started to buzz in his pocket, drawing him away from the awkwardness he felt. "My dads are waiting for me to get home so we can go out for dinner." He extended a fist towards Lincoln. "See ya later bro."

Lincoln pounded the fist with his own. "You too, bro."

With Clyde taking off towards his own home, Lincoln walked in the direction of his. He glanced up at the sky as he picked up where he left off in his train of thought. You'd think two years wouldn't change much of anything; well, besides Ronnie Anne and Bobby moving away almost a couple years back. But it was still a little shocking how large his social circle had become. Conner started to hang with the boys around the end of 5th grade out of circumstance, eventually warming up enough to everyone to be considered a full friend. This also wound up with the Pingry boy butting heads with Clyde, who feared the former was going to take over the latter's position as Lincoln's best friend. Truth to be told, Lincoln did consider Conner a good friend that didn't have as many issues as Clyde did'; but he had known Clyde since they were six, and their ties ran deep.

Next, there was Stella: a new girl of Filipino descent who had joined Lincoln's class during sixth grade. Being the geeks and losers that they were, it was very surprising how someone as pretty as Stella wanted to hang with the boys. Naturally, they thought their had to be some underlying reason because no girl in their own class (or school for that matter) wanted to be around them due to being at the bottom of the popularity pool. Well, that wasn't so much the case for Lincoln and Clyde due to a certain fight they got involved in while in 5th grade; but they weren't going to ditch their 4 friends at any point if they could help it. Anyway, because Stella seemed so adamant at wanting to hang with them, their growing (and somewhat perverted) minds entertained the idea she wanted to date one of them. Lincoln shot this idea down due to already being smitten, with Conner following suit because he and Cristina had become rather close. But both boys would be quick to admit it was funny watching their friends try to win Stella's heart before she made it clear she only saw them as cool guys to hang with and wasn't interested in relationships. Apologies aside, Stella proved to be a cool person to hang with.

That didn't stop her from being targeted by a certain Latina for passing a few flirts to Lincoln. Few knew that Stella could be such a troll, and she honestly thought a few innocuous teases would amuse her due to getting a rise out of Ronalda. The Filipina is still fortunate she dodged a chair thrown at her head.

And speaking of girls, Cristina also joined their little clique; courtesy of Conner. There was an air of awkwardness between Lincoln and the brunette due to the former's previous infatuation for the latter; that went double for Ronalda for a few other reasons. Because of this, it took roughly two weeks before Cristina truly felt like she achieved the friendship of everyone else; Ronalda warmed up to her when it became clear Cristina had her sights on the only blonde of the group. The well-dressed girl really hit it off with Stella, often gossiping about girl topics that left the guys wondering what they were talking about or just ignoring it. Ronnie would occasionally join them, but it was very limited due to distance.

Last but not least, there was Jordan Rosato; also known as _Girl _Jordan. Possibly the third tomboy to join the group (she still held girly girl tendencies that rivaled Cristina's), it didn't come as a surprise when Jordan started hanging out with them more frequently. Rightfully popular due to the parties she held on occasion, you could say Jordan was the most influential girl in the school. She even gained the nickname 'Party Queen' as such events were often the most widely anticipated in any given year. Hey, someone had to fill the void after Chandler disappeared to who the hell cares.

You might ask how she's able to afford doing yearly parties, given that she's upper middle class at best. Jordan just pointed to her parents getting promoted to management positions in their jobs, so no one bothered pressing the question.

Over the past two years, Jordan had been getting more involved with the student government, often being the frontrunner to make talking points towards the faculty about what they could do to make the school better for students; one of them being evenly distributed A/C throughout the school. Seriously, in some rooms you have to wear two layers during _summer, _and winter felt like you were sitting in Phoenix during July.

Clearly the construction crew missed some objectives before they finished...

Being popular had its perks, and one of Jordan's best traits was that she didn't act like the world revolves around her or put down others simply because they were less fortunate. But being close friends with the next _class president?_ Lincoln would tell you that opened a whole lot of doors.

Turning the corner, Lincoln eyed the street sign. "10 minutes til I open that door and Lily jumps me again." He bemused. The little girl had a habit of doing that to everyone, especially the sole Loud boy since he was the unspoken 'favorite'.

So, long story short, Lincoln's social group had grown in number, physically, and mentally. And that alone came with its own bag of worms as it didn't automatically mean maturity came with it. As people get older, they start to..._notice_...the opposite gender. Naturally, this involves a lot of hormonally-induced staring and the beginning of sexual fantasies. Having 4 girls in the group wasn't difficult to deal with, as the boys proved to be gentlemen for the most part; but they wouldn't be men if they didn't admit they would occasionally give offhand stares at Stella and Jordan's chests, or Cristina and Ronalda's growing hips. Hell, Ronnie Anne outright boasted that she stares at Lincoln's butt half the time. The Loud could say the same to her with the way her shorts managed to-

Lincoln shook his head as his cheeks reddened a little. _"Getting a little off base here..." _He gave a smug smile. "I'll save that for later." The Loud spoke outwardly before glancing up at the sky. _"Where was I?"_

Oh, right. Rusty still remained the tallest of the group, had started to grow sideburns, and unfortunately...had a few more zits to add to his face. You could also say he became a little more perverted with his pickup lines being worse than ever, and on occasion, he'd profess his love for any random girl in their class that had a pretty face; everyone had to draw straws on who would slap him upside the head and drag him away by the ear. Usually, it was Stella or Liam; Lincoln pulled his hair once and Clyde just watched him get slapped so hard that Rusty had a handprint on his cheek for three whole days.

As funny as it was watching the tall redhead make a fool of himself, all of that changed when he _accidentally _used a cheesy line on Margo. Unlike every other girl he met, the long nosed brunette actually found it funny in spite of the fact Rusty clearly ripped it off from a movie. Many thought Margo was just giving him a shot out of pity, but it turns out the 15 year old sincerely took a liking to Rusty. It was still weird as to how it happened no matter how many times they saw it; Rusty probably thinks he hit the jackpot with how toned Margo was growing. Still, as long as he wasn't dropping stupid lines like a shitty comedian, no one complained. In fact, three of the guys had official girlfriends, Lincoln included.

The Loud bit his cheek as he furrowed his brows a little. In all honesty, he was a little jealous of Conner and Rusty. At least they could see their mates whenever they wanted to; Lincoln had to catch a damn travel bus and ride for three whole hours just to see his. And if his talk with Clyde was any indication, there might be a 4th couple in the group soon enough.

It wasn't that Zach or Liam weren't growing to be attractive. Liam was definitely getting some build from his usual farm labor, and the peach fuzz on his cheeks was obvious. Zach was likely to remain the shortest of the group, but their might be some hope for him later on, especially if he keeps his hair in check. But they weren't close to Lynn like Clyde was. From a distance, Lincoln would see how Lynn sometimes stared at his best friend whenever they hung out together, and Clyde would act all fidgety as he tried to put on this false sense of manliness. The fact the nerdy teen even fumbled on his words just moments ago made it clear to the white-haired child that he was reciprocating Lynn's growing feelings.

Lincoln smiled as he eyed his street just a block ahead. "Lynn could really use someone like Clyde in her life; especially now with her mind still a mess..." Looking at the readers, "Yeah, I know I laughed at the thought of Lynn dating Clyde when Ronnie Anne was moving away. I mean, who wouldn't? Clyde just doesn't seem like the type of guy Lynn would go out with." Reaching the corner, Lincoln looked both ways before crossing the street. "I thought she might date someone like that guy she was looking at during middle school when she used to do sports; but that didn't go anywhere. I still remember that day she came home looking completely drained because..." Lincoln looked at the clouds. "Francisco I think?" He gave a shrug. "Didn't like her back."

With his house in sight, Lincoln continued his narration. "But that was way back then. Lynn's changed a lot, and...well..." He stumbled on his words for a moment. "Clyde has a big heart, and while me and him are still considered geeks, I seriously doubt that Lynn would care. She could really use a kind guy like Clyde, and if he wants to date her, then I'd help them." The Loud chuckled to himself. "All those times my sisters tried setting me and Ronalda on a date, and here I am vowing to play matchmaker for my sister and best friend. I really _am _their brother."

"Lincoln?" A small, cutesy voice cut in, making the teen glance in the direction it came from. Lily was staring at him with a weird look while holding a pale in her hand. "Who are you talking to?"

The teen smiled. "Just running through some thoughts." He replied as he walked onto the grass. "What's with the bucket?"

Lily smiled brightly. "I'm gonna be digging for treasure!" The toddler boasted as she raised her pale. "Lana's helping, but she's behind the house digging with her hands. And, Mom said I'm not really allowed to do that." The little blonde pouted her lips. "I don't see why Lana gets to have fun while I have to use this stupid pale..." She softly slammed the plastic bucket into the soil.

Lincoln chuckled. "She said that because we don't need another Lana in the house." He knelt down to her level. "I mean, would you like being dirty all the time?"

Lily shook her head. "No. Lola says I will be as pretty as her one day."

The white-haired Loud rolled his eyes. "Of course she'd say that." He muttered.

"Wanna help? I think I'm gonna find a big, big treasure chest!" Lily spread her arms out to emphasize on the scale of her hopeful bounty.

"Sure, why not." Lincoln shrugged as he stood up. "Didn't have anything planned honestly."

Lily squealed in joy before grabbing her brother by his fingers and led him towards the backyard. As soon as they rounded the wooden frame however, the duo found a funny, and not-at-all weirdly sight. Lana was on her hands and knees, giving threatening growls with Charles responding in kind as they tugged back and forth with their teeth on a dirt-covered chew toy in the shape of a bone. A freshly dug hole was off to Lana's left, and her hands were coated in soil and mud. Yep, perfectly normal.

And if you were Lincoln, it was a headache.

The teen gave an exasperated sigh while Lily giggled loudly at the scene. "As if having one dog was enough..." Lincoln muttered as he let go of Lily's hand and strolled up to them.

The 8 year old mechanic and mutt were too busy in their little contest that they didn't even register Lincoln's presence until he reached down and yanked the toy from their mouths. The two barked angrily at him, yet the teen held an indifferent look toward the dog and child. Both jumped up on his legs in an attempt to reach the toy.

"Ah ah ah! Down!" Lincoln commanded in a tone he only reserved for times he wanted to be serious. His brows were furrowed a bit to show his determination and to test their obedience.

Charles' ears flattened against his head, knowing when an alpha was commanding him to stand down. He let loose a few whimpers as he backed off, standing up straight a moment later as he waited for his master's command. Lana on the other hand...

She continued reaching for the toy, forcing Lincoln to hold it higher. "I said, _Down_...Lana..." Lincoln spoke with a sharpened edge to his tone as he focused on the young mechanic.

Lana's eyes became wet as she gave a series of dog-like whimpers, sliding off her brother's pants leg and returning to her hands and knees, bowing slightly in obedience.

"Sit."

Charles and Lana obeyed without question, staring intently at the teen.

Lincoln dropped the faux sergeant attitude as a smile worked its way out. "Good boy." He dropped the toy, to which Charles gleefully took in his mouth. He shook it a few times with increased vigor before trotting off with what one could assume was a smug grin.

Lana glared at her brother. "No fair! I found that bone fair and square!"

The 13 year old frowned at his bug-loving sister. "And Charles buried it first Lana. It's not the first time you've taken his stuff."

"Aw come on!" Lana got to her feet. "I was just havin' fun!"

Lincoln didn't budge in his opinion as he folded his arms. "You really gotta stop acting like a dog Lana. It was cute a couple years ago, but you're almost 10 now. It even took you a whole year for Mom and Dad to get you to quit eating out of the garbage."

"Ewwwwwww!" Lily stuck her tongue out in disgust.

Lana's frown increased a little. "Don't knock it til you try it..."

"We're just looking out for you Lana." Lincoln started, letting his hands fall to his sides. "It was only a matter of time before you caught something that even _Lisa_ probably couldn't fix. And after what happened a couple years ago, it's obvious Mom and Dad want to take their parenting seriously."

The 8 year old's frown dropped a bit, turning into a solemn stare as she looked towards the ground. "Yeah..." She spoke quietly, the memory of her brother's plight still fresh in her mind.

Being true to herself, Lana was a bit rebellious at having been forced to not eat garbage like a regular person. She didn't see the harm in having a little ol' molded pudding or cheese, or half-eaten chicken that someone was too lazy to finish. Time and time again, Rita or Lynn Sr. would have to remind the girl about why she shouldn't do it, having given her stern warnings but never actually moving onto a punishment; that's like trying to force Lana to stay clean, as slippery as she could be. After about three months of having to pick Lana out of the garbage, the parents finally decided to nip the problem in the bud...in the form of Lisa Loud.

Being forced to have hour long discussions with her brainy sister, Lana at first found the whole shindig to be a waste of time, shortly before Lisa told her of all the dangerous and deadly diseases Lana could catch that could cut her life short. The 5 year old even specifically pointed out why it was ill-advised to eat food discarded by others, to which Lisa pulled up various pictures of other humans who had eaten contaminated foodstuffs.

To cut it short, Lana turned into such a germaphobe that she wouldn't even empty her own trash can out of fear of catching a deadly virus. Fortunately, Lincoln and Lisa taught her simple sterilizing techniques; and this happened right as Lana was deciding if she wanted to live in a plastic bubble.

Lincoln knelt to her level. "I know you do it for fun Lans, but as you get older..." He trailed off, trying to figure out an appropriate word. "People start to think it's weird, and not in a good way. You can still do it around the house (unless Mom or Dad tell you not to), but try not to do it in public, kay?"

"Okaaay..." Lana replied, still feeling down in the dumps.

The teen reached out and ruffled the young tomboy's hair. "You're still my favorite little plumber."

"Hah hah." Lana chuckled, lightly grabbing her brother's wrist. "What about _favorite sister_?"

"Hmmmm..." Lincoln mulled in thought.

"Hey! I thought I was your favorite!" Lily yelled in protest, glaring daggers at Lana.

A smug grin formed across Lincoln's face. "Looks like you still have plenty of competition Lana." Lily pouted in response, even as Lincoln put his other hand on her head. "Haha, I'm just kidding Lily. All of you are my favorite!"

Lily perked up at this, promptly wrapping her arms around her brother as best she could. Lana joined in on the other side, covering Lily's arms with her own as she practically smothered herself against Lincoln's side. "Hug sandwich!"

Lincoln laughed as he hugged the two sisters. "Love you both."

"We love you more!" Lily proclaimed.

"Not as much as I do." Lincoln teased before releasing them. As he stood up, "I'm heading inside. And Lana..."

"Yeah?"

The teen let a chortle escape him. "Try not to dig up Charles' toys again."

Lana stuck her tongue out as she gave a mock salute. "No promises!"

Lincoln shook his head as he turned towards the house. "If he bites you, I'm not helping."

"People can bite too ya know!" Lana called after him as Lincoln reached the steps.

Lincoln wouldn't admit to it out loud (at least not in front of his other siblings), but he did have a favorite sister; she's currently living in the same apartment as his girlfriend's extended family. _"I wonder how Lori's doing. Haven't called her in a while..." _This lone thought played in his head as Lincoln opened the door.

The Loud was greeted to find his musical sister and her girlfriend sitting in the dining room with small stacks of paper sitting in front of them. A couple wads of balled-up paper was strewn this way and that around their position, some of which had ended up onto the floor.

"I swear mate, it's on the tip of my tongue, but it _just _feels like it doesn't have enough OMPH..." Lincoln heard Luna utter to herself.

"Just let it flow naturally hun." Sam replied, scratching the top of her head with the eraser of her pencil. "But I get you though: writing lyrics is a bitch..."

Luna's eyes widened, though Lincoln couldn't be certain as to whether it was due to Sam swearing or an idea popped in her head. Either way, he shut the door before moseying over to the fridge. There were some Mac 'n Cheese bites Dad left in there as leftovers, and they were his for the taking.

"Dude, I just got an idea for that." Lincoln heard Luna say. "Buuuuut I don't know how my folks will like me cussing in a song..."

"Don't a lot of famous bands do it though?" Sam pointed out with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I got a few standards." There was a short pause as Lincoln licked his lips, finding the container that held the snack he sought. "Except using British swears. Even Dad doesn't know all of them."

Lincoln could only imagine the smugness on Luna's face right now. Shaking his head, the 13 year old shut the fridge door, a popping sound echoed in the room that made the two girls jump in their seats.

"That you Lucy?" Luna called out.

"Even _Lucy_ isn't that loud." Lincoln answered, walking past the archway as he approached the microwave.

"Oh." Luna smiled. "Sup Lincoln."

"Wazzup little man." Sam greeted.

"When'd you get here?" The brunette asked.

"Like..." Lincoln counted in his head as he slipped the container inside the little oven, pressing a few buttons to set the timer before starting it. "Ten minutes ago? I was outside settling a spat between Lana and Charles."

Luna dropped her smile as an unamused stare took shape. "She dug up another of his bones again?"

"Close." The oven beeped, prompting the white-haired teen to take his food out. "Chew toy." Popping the lid open, the smell of melted cheese and meatballs greeted his nose. Smiling to himself, Lincoln strolled out of the kitchen with the container in hand.

Upon seeing the food he was carrying, Luna smirked and reached out. "Thanks bro, I'm gettin' a little peckish."

Lincoln glared at the rocker. "Hey!" He tucked the container under his arm, away from Luna's grasp.

Luna chuckled. "Just jossin' ya bro." She lightly bumped his arm with a fist. "Last thing we need is everyone settin' up traps for the fridge again."

Lincoln grimaced a bit. "It took forever to wash that blue paint off..." He slipped a meatball into his mouth before continuing into the living room.

Eyeing the clock, Lincoln figured he had half an hour before he was due to start a game session with a few of his friends. Rusty and Liam clearly weren't gonna be on it due to other reasons, but Zach, Conner, and Clyde were still gonna show up; Lincoln just needed to make sure he could have the TV for two hours. Heading up the stairs, the sole Loud child could hear a few someones talking in their respective rooms. He flinched when Leni gave a squeal as he reached the top step, her voice emanating from her room as she spoke enthusiastically.

"She's probably on the phone." Lincoln shrugged.

As he passed by Lynn and Lucy's room, he spotted the Duchess of Darkness also talking on her phone with a smile on her face; a rare sight coming from her. Curiosity caught him in its grasp as he lingered a little by her door, wondering what put her in a scarce state. Upon hearing the name _Rocky_, Lincoln nodded in understanding before continuing to his room. Lucy and Rusty's little brother weren't officially 'dating' per se, but Lucy was clearly smitten with the redhead. Love at first site, as they say.

A warm smile graced Lincoln's face as he recalled the time he first met Ronalda. She may have pranked him as a way to show her affection, but he knew she wouldn't have bothered trying anything if the Loud didn't have a trait she liked. Of course, the Latina had long since moved past that phase, but still kept the brash attitude he came to admire about her. And speaking of brash attitudes, Lincoln backpedaled a little and noticed Lynn wasn't in the room. Looking down the hall towards his older siblings' rooms, the bathroom door was wide open; no dice there.

_"_She's probably out running again." Lincoln muttered before giving a casual shrug as he stepped away from his dark sister's room.

Passing the twins' room, Lola was sitting in her bed reading a book. She glanced upwards upon hearing a set of feet shuffling on the carpet.

The youngest of the twins smiled at him. "Hey Linky."

"Hey Lols." Lincoln greeted back as he passed the doorway.

What? You thought she'd be practicing her makeup for the 1 millionth time? If there's one thing that did change about Lola over the past two years (and as a result from the beginning of the bad luck fiasco), her vanity had dropped considerably. Sure, she still held a sizable ego about her beauty, but she no longer flaunted it like a spoiled princess. And if Lincoln had to be honest, it was growing tiresome that she wore her gowns day in and day out. Sure, he used to wear the same orange polos and jeans daily; but to the outside observer, one would assume Lola thought it was Halloween every day of the year.

Lola even developed a habit for reading books whenever she was bored, something she picked up after Lincoln helped her understand basic reading techniques. Now these days, it was a method of self-teaching so she could get ahead of her class.

Lincoln's lips curled down as he recalled the way he manhandled the then six year old when his anger was near its tipping point. Even though he was angry at a level he hadn't experienced before, the middle child couldn't forget that face Lola had when he dropped her. "I hope _that _didn't have anything to do with her becoming nicer..." Lincoln shuddered as a chill ran through his spine. "I was no better than those jerky older brothers who pick on their siblings..."

To drive the point home, Lincoln had approached Lola about a week after he returned home and apologized for handling her so roughly. Lola only smiled and told him that she 'had it coming' after the numerous times she abused him either physically or mentally. Still, Lincoln swore that he wouldn't threaten his little sisters like that ever again; even today, seeing how far his rage could go spooked him...

Eyeing Lisa's closed door, Lincoln had half the mind to speak with her about it. However, hearing his genius sister speaking in scientific terms beyond the wood, he figured she was either in a conference call or doing an experiment; both of which required privacy. Giving a light shrug, Lincoln entered his room without a word, snacking on the rest of the cheesy bites to kill a little time; and started planning on how to become Couch Commando before anyone else did.

* * *

Ronalda studied her reflection, pulling on the upper straps of the bra Carlota picked out so it felt a little more comfortable. True to her word, the Casagrande had given her a simple sports bra colored in a semi-dark purple that she could wear for daily use. It felt a little snug, but Ronalda figured it'd last her til she grew up a couple sizes; she was only an A-cup after all.

"Alright..." The Santiago put her hands on her hips. "I'll take it. Just this once..."

"What was that?" Carlota asked outside the dressing room.

"I said I'll go with it!" Ronalda yelled in an irate voice.

"Don't forget to try on the other clothes I picked out!" The older Latina stated, to which Ronalda eyed the bag sitting on the bench.

Biting her cheek, the Santiago dug into the bag until her fingers brushed against the tightly woven fabric of a pair of shorts. Pulling them out, Ronalda found they were a pair of denim short shorts. Not unlike the pair she currently wore, but after pressing them flat against her waist, the 13 year old saw they only stopped around the middle of her thighs.

"Geez, are these freaking booty shorts?..." The Latina muttered, holding them at eye level.

She looked down at the pair she was wearing currently, having only tried on two bras at this point. Ronalda pursed her lips upon noticing they stopped at the same length as this new pair. She didn't need to check how they fit around her rear, knowing that these were the same size she'd been wearing for the past year or so. Plus, Sid tapping her was enough of a hint at how much they hugged her figure.

"Ugh...let's get this over with..." Ronalda muttered, slipping off her old pair and fitting on the new one.

As she adjusted the waist, she couldn't help but notice how loose and comfortable the newer shorts felt; yet, they still felt a little tight when she bent her legs. Turning with her back to the mirror, the Latina looked over her shoulder, noting at how much the shorts appeared to hug her butt.

"Yeesh...I did grow a bit back there." Ronalda grabbed the tag hanging off the right leg. "And these are a bigger size?" She shifted her legs a little. "They definitely feel more comfortable though..."

Part of Ronalda wanted to get Carlota's opinion, since she'd definitely knew more about clothes shopping than she ever did. But...did she really want her cousin making a big scene out of it? Ronalda wasn't typically a girl to feel self-conscious about her body; not in public at least. She shuddered a little as her cheeks heated up at the memory of what happened the last time she walked out of there with some new duds Carlota picked for her.

"Yeah, I'm definitely not doing that..." Ronalda growled. "Carlota may be older, but she still has a set of lungs..." Tapping her chin. "Who else could I ask?..."Her left eye squinted a little in thought. "Mmm...Lori?" She played with the idea for a moment before shaking her head. "Nah, she's working. Annnnd she might spread the word to Carol and whoever else if I send her a picture." She hummed a little. "Mom?" Immediately after the word left her mouth, Ronalda sighed a little. "She's probably hands deep in someone's chest right now...I know I can't ask Sid or Nikki cause they won't shut up about it afterwards..."

After crossing out her grandmother and aunt for various reasons, Ronalda grew more and more frustrated as she started running out of options. At the last moment though, her thoughts drifted to Lincoln. Naturally, discussing girl clothing with a boy wouldn't cross her mind; but this wasn't just any boy though. Being that Lincoln had nearly a dozen sisters, the likelihood of him having to help pick out clothes for the girls was pretty high; and he was her boyfriend, so his opinion mattered too. Looking at her reflection, Ronalda couldn't help but wonder what Lincoln's reaction would be if he saw her right now. While she no longer pulled pranks on him, the Latina was quite flirtatious when the situation called for it.

_"They can stare all they want, but they aren't gonna get any."_ Sid's words echoed in the Latina's head. Just imagining Lincoln staring at her like a moth to a flame put a smile on her face. "Well, someone certainly is." Ronalda spoke with suppressed giggles as she looked for her phone. "Been a while since I last teased Linky-Poo." Her smile faltered a little as she thought about the news that had to be made the other day. "And I think he could use a little 'motivation'."

Ronalda didn't know whether it was because of her hormones going crazy, or it was the idea of seeing Lincoln in a loving daze being very appealing; either way, she was dead set on knocking his socks off. After finding her phone, Ronalda practiced a few poses in front of the mirror to look as cute as possible while also giving some definition to her butt. Once she felt she struck the right position, the Latina snapped a picture.

* * *

"Conner, there's a badass to your left. No, your LEFT!" Lincoln yelled into his microphone headset as he button mashed his controller.

He succeeded in snagging the remote after a bit of an argument with Luan, but he suggested she could hang with Benny for a couple hours while he got his game on. At the moment, himself, Conner, Zach, and Clyde were trying to beat a Circle of Slaughter that was proving to be a chore because of the numerous enemies that kept spawning with heavy weapons.

_"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"_ Conner screamed over the chat as his character was incapacitated.

_"I heard that all the way from my house." _Clyde joked, his character running over to help Conner's.

_"Is it just me, or are all of them shooting radiation?"_ Zach asked.

"No, it's cryo too. And acid for me cause every time I jump in the mech, I get blasted with it..." Lincoln groaned. He thumbed hard on the right trigger before laughing to himself. "Finally got you, asshole!"

"Linky! Watch your language!" Leni yelled from upstairs.

Lincoln sulked a little, being grateful that his parents weren't home yet. "Sorry!" He then heard the two-pronged chime of his phone, which meant he received a text. Raising a brow, Lincoln glanced at his mobile, his curiosity peaking when he saw Ronalda's name on the screen.

"Hey guys, I gotta take a sec." Lincoln stated, putting the controller down and picking up the phone.

Swiping the screen with his thumb to unlock it, Lincoln went into the text app and selected Ronalda's text block. He saw the message had a picture that needed to be downloaded, to which the teen shrugged and tapped it with his thumb.

"Wonder what she sent." Lincoln said to no one in particular.

A moment later, the only thing anyone heard was a loud thumping sound followed by an object crashing onto the floor.

_"Uh...what was that?"_ Zach asked.

Conner muttered something under his breath as his character looked for the nearest enemy he could gain a second wind from. _"I __think it came from Lincoln's end. Did you drop something dude?" _

The line was silent, until the boys heard a feminine scream.

_"Lincoln?" _Clyde asked out, becoming more confused by the second.

In the living room, Luna and Sam walked in from the dining room upon hearing the noise, with the brunette shrieking upon seeing Lincoln lying crumpled on the floor. Rushing over to him, Luna was almost in tears as she saw spots of blood on the floor. Turning Lincoln onto his back, the older teens saw there was a good amount of blood spewing from Lincoln's nostrils, his eyes were completely whited out, and there was a bit of droll coming out of his mouth. His controller lied on the floor close to him, having a few spots of blood covering the thumb sticks and directional pad.

Sam covered her mouth to avoid screaming outright. "Did he have a seizure?!"

"What is the cause for alarm?" Lisa asked as she came downstairs, holding an empty plate with breadcrumbs on it.

"I think Lincoln hit his head or something!" Luna yelled frantically.

Lisa blinked for a moment as those words echoed in her head. "What?..." She dropped the plate before rushing over.

Leni, Lola, and Lucy must've heard Luna's call, seeing as they practically flew down the steps and joined the others around their fallen brother. Leni gave a shrill scream and immediately ran towards the phone.

Lisa started checking Lincoln's vitals, pressing a hand to his chest and a few fingers against his neck. "Heart beat seems normal, albeit a little fast..." She opened his mouth a little wider to peer inside, squinting her eyes in curiosity. "Ptyalin levels are surprisingly normal, no excessive buildup that would be acute to epilepsy..." Lisa turned her head sideways to listen for Lincoln's breathing, becoming more confused as it wasn't uneven or quick. "His respiratory functionality is normal?" Turning towards Luna, "What happened to him?"

"L-Look, I don't know brah." Luna stated in a shaken tone. "Me and Sam were still thinkin' up some lyrics when we heard a noise."

"Mmmmm..." Lisa hummed as her lips thinned into a fine line. She focused back on Lincoln and started shaking him. "Lincoln, wake up." The boy only gave a gasp in response. "Say something!" The 6 year old demanded as she lightly slapped his cheek.

"Bah...bah...bah..." Lincoln stammered out, his eyes still completely white. Thankfully, the blood coming from his nose slowed to drips.

"Wha?..." Sam asked aloud.

Lola rolled her eyes. "For Pete's sake, move over." She gently pushed Lisa out of the way before promptly smacking Lincoln's cheeks harder, making his head move side to side from the hits. "Wake up Lincoln! You're gonna be late for school!" It was obviously a fib, but it appeared Lola was dead set on trying anything to bring Lincoln back to life.

Whilst this was occurring, Luna noticed Lincoln's phone lying just inches from his hand. The screen had a sizable blood stain on it, but the musician could just make out a picture behind the foreign obstruction. Picking up the device, Luna coated two fingers in spit before wiping the blood off, only to widen her eyes once the picture became clearer. The text from Ronalda had the picture of the Latina in a dressing room, making an alluring pose whilst wearing a sports bra and some shorts that Luna couldn't tell if they were a little too tight for her. They definitely pronounced her butt though.

Under the picture, there was a text that read: _[What do you think?]_

Within a few seconds, all the worry in Luna's core was washed away as fits of giggles escaped her throat. She snorted a little to suppress her laughter, only to outright echo her humor across the room once everything was pieced together. "Oh man, this is priceless! Hahaha!" She held her stomach upon doubling over in laughter.

Sam bit her cheek at the odd display. "What's so funny?" Lola stopped her little assault to gawk at the cackling teen.

Luna didn't answer, only shoving the phone into the blonde's hands. Sam raised a brow before glancing at the device; it only took a few seconds before she caught the laugh bug, her cheeks turning red after covering her mouth with a fist to avoid laughing like a maniac.

Lisa didn't see the hilarity of the situation, casting a mild frown at the two. "I fail to see what you could possibly find," She paused for a moment as Sam reached out with the phone in hand. The little prodigy nearly snatched it from her hand. "Comedic about..." Lisa's mouth dropped a little as she also nearly went bug-eyed at the photo. "This..."

The little genius looked between the picture and Lincoln's current state, the situation becoming all too transparent in a few seconds. Unlike the others, Lisa only cleared her throat before developing her usual stoic expression. "Well, there is no cause for alarm then."

"Is it what I think it is?" Lucy asked.

The 6 year old gave a curt nod. "Our elder brother simply experienced an abrupt increase in arousal due to the digital photo Ronnie Anne sent him."

Upon hearing his girlfriend being mentioned, Lincoln let loose a loud moan as more blood spewed from his nose. Lola, who unfortunately had been right in front of his face at that moment, had gotten specks of blood sprayed onto her hands and shirt.

"EWWWWWW!" Lola shrieked as she jumped away from Lincoln, then ran past everyone as she took to the stairs. "THIS IS GONNA TAKE FOREVER TO WASH OUT!" Came the pageant winner's scream before everyone heard a door slam shut.

Lucy smile a little. "Hah hah." Naturally, her usual dark and broody tone marked the delightfulness she was currently feeling.

Leni pulled the phone away from her ear as the ensuing laughter became too distracting. "Did someone tell a joke or...?"

Lisa looked towards her second oldest sibling, then the phone. "Leni," She looked the fashionista in the eye. "Did you call Emergency Services?"

"Yeah?"

"Oh boy..." Lisa muttered under her breath. "Please tell them it was a false alarm and it was only a trivial issue."

Leni frowned. "But what about Lincoln?"

The six year old wave her hand dismissively. "He's fine, I assure you."

On the TV, everyone's characters had met up around Lincoln's, who died due to inactivity and respawned outside the arena. The boys could hear Luna and Sam laughing, but were still left in the dark about what transpired.

_"Soooo, what just happened?" _ Zach voiced while sifting through the ammo vendor.

_"I think Luan must've played a prank on him or something." _Clyde stated. In his room, he was still checking his phone for when Lincoln eventually replied to the 10 messages he sent.

_"Well, whatever it was..." _Conner started enthusiastically as he inspected a new gun he picked up from a freshly killed badass. _"You guys owe me BIG for all that carrying I just did!"_

Zach frowned from behind his screen. _"What? You kept going down the most!"_

_"I was still the last one left alive!" _Conner countered.

Clyde rolled his eyes. _"Against the last group of zealots..."_

Conner growled loudly over the line. _"Why do you guys gotta be so hateful?!"_

* * *

"Come on Lame-O! How long does it take to respond to a text?..." Ronalda growled, growing more and more impatient as each second passed. While the use of Lincoln's old nickname was scarce these days, the 13 year old couldn't help but drop it during times she was a bit irate at the Loud.

"Almost done in there Ronnie Anne?" Carlota called out.

"In a minute!" The younger Latina responded. Glancing back at her phone, she checked to make sure she sent the picture to the right number. "Ugh! He should've gotten it by now..." Rapping her fingers on her arm, "Is someone else using his phone?..." A sense of dread filled her at the possibility of some boy using her boyfriend's phone and making googly eyes at the photo she took. God, that would end her life immediately. She'd probably be trending on some stupid porn websites where a bunch of pedophiles would fap to her...

The vibration of her phone grabbed the girl's attention, whipping it up to her face in an instant. However, instead of getting a new reply from Lincoln, Ronalda found a text from Luna. Swiping over to the other block, the first thing she was greeted upon was a picture of a passed out Lincoln Loud with blood still coating the area between his upper lip and nose, fully white eyes, and some drool leaving his mouth. An actual text message popped up a moment later.

_Nice duds bra. You really knocked him dead! XD - _Luna

Ronalda's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she blushed profusely. Clearly, her plan worked a little _too _well...

However, a smile started to grace her lips. If that picture was any proof, Lincoln didn't think she was just a pretty face; he thought she was drop-dead gorgeous. A bit of a stretch, Ronalda knew, because she wasn't as pretty as some of the other girls in her grade. Even Sid was a bit more attractive than she was; not that she needed to know that. But, it didn't matter.

"Carlota, I'm finished!" Ronalda yelled as she slipped her regular attire back on.

After a minute, the Santiago stepped out of the dressing area with the bag in tow, the younger Latina was greeted to her more buxom cousin standing there with her hands on her hips. "You sure took a long time in there. I thought you wanted to be 'in and out'."

Ronalda shrugged, shoving a hand into her pocket. "What can I say? Needed to make sure everything looked right on me."

Carlota gave a short chortle. "You never seemed to care before." She turned as the two started walking to the nearest cashier. "So, you find everything alright?"

The 13 year old gave a sincere smile. "Yep. Everything fit _juuust _fine."

In Ronalda's pocket, a message had been sent to Lincoln's phone. It was a simple, yet cute message that had a couple hearts bordering it on each side.

_[See you in a few days Linky-Poo~~]_

**A/N: I had a thought to end it after Lincoln went to spend time doing whatever, but added this last segment after entertaining the idea enough to see where it would go. I also could've added a scene with Lynn and Clyde talking, but I'd rather save that for later. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this segment, and Lincoln is definitely gonna need a box of tissues. Also, if anyone guessed right, the boys were playing Slaughter Shaft on Borderlands 3.**


	5. Family Matters

**A/N: While Lincoln and his sisters are busy dealing with his 'problem', let's see what Lynn's been up to this whole; along with a couple special guests.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

As the sun's rays began to cast a light golden yellow shroud across the afternoon sky, the citizens of Royal Woods were making their preparations for whatever activities they planned that evening; or had the displeasure of being stuck in the evening rush hour. For one lone Loud however, it meant it was almost time to wrap up her jog.

Lynn panted as she ran at a steady pace down the street, her lungs burning from the constant jogging as her heart thumped hard against her ribcage. The Loud's track suit was already feeling uncomfortably damp, her headband more so since it kept sweat from reaching her eyes. As stated before, in spite of her refusal to do sports, that didn't mean Lynn would just let herself get out of shape. Twice a week, she spent a couple hours running the same route: start from home, run through main street, go past the school, get to the mall, then double back towards the school, and cut across a few blocks to reach home.

Lynn drew in a huge breath, only to immediately regret doing so as her lungs clawed for more air. "Dang it...really...gotta...run more..." The brunette panted.

Lynn cringed as an aching sensation in her right leg demanded her attention, forcing the Loud to cut her run shorter than normal. Lynn groaned as she started walking off her exercise, feeling pins and needles around her shin. "Stupid...bum leg..."

After walking 20 steps, the Loud knelt down and rubbed the sore spot. Her fingers traced along the smooth skin of her leg, her movement becoming slower when she felt two long lines of skin that felt fresher than the surrounding area. Lynn was used to fractures, sprains, concussions, and the occasional break in her bones; came with the job of playing sports. But rarely (if at all) did they require corrective surgery.

"Look, I didn't believe it when Ronnie Anne's mom told me the first time, but those assholes broke my shin in three different places..." Lynn told the reader, twisting her leg slightly to force her knee to pop. "She said the doctors used some kind of clamps to fix the bone, and I'd be stuck with them for..." Lynn bit her lip. "However long she said..."

A sinister chuckle echoed inside of the former athlete's head. _"Like that's ever stopped us before. Quit acting like a pussy and walk it off."_

Lynn furrowed her brows as her lips parted slightly to show clenched teeth. "Oh, you're the _LAST_ person I wanna be speaking to right now..."

_"Like you can get rid of me." _Inner Lynn scoffed. _"I live in your freaking head idiot. Now, if I had a body,"_ Lynn could practically feel her less likeable side giving a snide grin. _"Then_ _we'd_ clearly _know who's the weakling here."_

"Har dee har." The Loud spoke dryly. "Get comfortable, cause that shit only exists on TV." She stretched her leg out before standing up.

Inner Lynn growled. _"Yeah? Well your brainiac of a sister is gonna pull some weird shit like that one day."_

"She'd be more inclined to wiping you from my head at the possibility of erasing my memories." Lynn retorted, starting to march along her route. "Which is sounding _VERY_ tempting right now!"

_"Ah, we both know you won't ever do it."_

"Wanna bet?..."

_"Nine o'clock." _Inner Lynn stated, prompting the real Lynn to glance to her left. She paused upon seeing what her other self was referring to.

Up until this point, she had been oblivious to the fact she was passing by her high school; in particular, she was by the fence that bordered the baseball field. Even though the semester ended, Lynn knew very well that didn't mean much in the world of sports. Since it was June, September was still a long way off til the season ended; as such, Lynn wasn't surprised to see the Royal Woods Chipmunks doing one of their practice sessions. If it were any other circumstance, Lynn would be out there with them. Instead, she could only lightly grab the fencing as she watched the team run bases, making fast passes to throw off the runners, or practicing their long distance catches.

_"You miss it, don't you?" _Inner Lynn spoke, but the brunette hadn't answered. _"The thrill of wind in our hair, the adrenaline in our veins, getting down in the mud, the crowds cheering our name, being in the spotlight, getting praised like the real champions we are and rubbing it rightfully into the faces of any losers? We had a strict regimen to follow too, and it ALWAYS made us number 1 no matter what." _Lynn bit her cheek as her grip on the fence slackened. _"Well, until we made that mistake of inviting Stinkoln that one_ _time."_

The Loud's grip suddenly tightened to the point her knuckles were turning white. "Don't you fucking _EVER_ say that again..." She spoke quietly, but it did little to take away the acidic tone dripping from her words.

Inner Lynn gave what sounded like a snort, if one could do so in their brain. _"What's the matter? Can't handle the truth? It WAS working out until you had to bitch and moan about him not being around to watch us take home the gold." _The mental demon paused for a moment. _"Which, to be fair, sounds like he should've been with us regardless. Not like our other sisters had anything THAT important to do."_

"Shut up..." Lynn spat, her eye beginning to twitch as her brows formed into a sharp-V.

_"Buuut we fixed that little mistake, didn't we?"_ Inner Lynn continued, ignoring her physical counterpart._ "Or least, _THIS TIME_, don't invite Stinkoln at all to your games. He doesn't need to be ruining our moment to shine with his lameness."_

"S-Shut...up!..." Lynn ordered again, now trembling a little as her face started to become bathed in a hue of red.

Whether or not she was being spiteful, Inner Lynn continued by saying, _"I wonder if Stinkoln would look good in a chipmunk costume. His bad luck-"_ She didn't finish that sentence as Lynn grip the fence with her other hand, her face now as red as a tomato.

"WHY DON'T YOU GO FUCK OFF AND DIE?!" The former athlete shouted before slamming her head into the plastic-covered wiring, the whole section rattling upon impact.

She breathed loudly as she took deep breaths, gazing at the ground as the color on her face slowly went back to normal. She was pretty certain that the players closest to her were no doubt staring from her sudden outburst; not that the former athlete cared in the slightest. Lynn pursed her lips as the throbbing on her forehead made itself painfully clear, soon lifting her headband a bit to rub at the sore spot.

"You alright Lynn?" A familiar voice called out behind her. Lynn glanced back to see Margo walking over from what she assumed was the other side of the street.

"For now..." The Loud muttered to herself, still simmering but with a hint of relief at having shut up her demon's voice.

Margo squinted an eye in confusion. "Were you on the phone or were you just talking to yourself?"

Not wanting to discuss it with the long-nosed girl, Lynn opted for a fib. "Phone." She stood up straight before turning around, now using the fence as a support due to still feeling a little winded. "Some stupid telemarketer kept calling me even though I told them not to yesterday."

Margo gave a half-lidded stare. "Yeah, those are the worst." Stuffing her hands in her pockets, "So, doing another run today?"

"Yep..." Lynn looked at the outfit Margo was wearing for a few seconds. It was casual, but with some fresh jeans and a shirt that had a few flowery and glitter décor on it; definitely not something she'd seen her wear every day. "You hanging out with someone later?"

Margo smiled, giving a shrug. "Def. Gonna meet Rusty at the movies in 10. Didn't have anything better to do, so..."

Lynn couldn't help but cringe visibly. "Not to hate on your likes girl, but I still don't know what you see in that guy. I mean, he's Lincoln's friend, so I don't have a beef with him; but his pick-up lines are just..." She closed her eyes as a chill went up her spine. "Ugh..."

Margo frowned a little as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I know they stink harder than your sister's puns." She smiled again. "But he's got a bit of charm to him that most don't notice."

Lynn didn't want to press the matter further, so she shrugged. "You do you, I guess."

Margo looked past Lynn for a moment, watching the baseball team doing practice. A question she wanted to ask was on the edge of her tongue, but Margo knew it was something of a touchy subject; and it still baffled her on why it became so. It certainly wasn't a problem two years prior. "So..." She began, feeling it'd be better to ask anyway while she had Lynn's attention. "Are you gonna try doing sports again when the year starts?"

Lynn's breathing hitched a little. "Um..." She started, avoiding her friend's gaze. She tapped the mesh of the fence as her anxiety started to build. "Maaaybeee?...I-I'm not certain yet..."

Margo sighed, her brows furrowing as she pinched the bridge between her eyes. "Come on Lynn, we talked about this..." Putting her hands on her hips, "Back when we were in middle school, you said we were gonna 'take the high school leagues by storm'. You, me, and Paula; sometimes, we even had to get you to talk about something else for a change because you'd go on for hours about how we'll graduate and move on to the next level."

Lynn bit her cheek. "Yeah, but-"

"I don't know what happened to you a couple years ago, but something's up. I mean, you took beatings like a pro and complained when you were forced to sit out for a game because of a pulled muscle. When you sprained your ankle, that was one thing, so I didn't think much about it." Margo folded her arms as she glanced to the side. "Then...you got beaten up by two hulks and had to stay in the hospital for almost a month. But I didn't think it would have _that_ much of an aftershock..." The light-haired brunette directed her gaze back towards her friend. "You _looked_ happy even the day after the fight..."

Lynn rubbed her arm a little. Getting thrashed by Hank and Hawk dealt a serious blow to her pride, that much was true; but like Margo said, it only lasted a day. She still hoped the two fatasses got raped in prison or whatever.

"Then, when you were able to walk (and with doctor approval), you hadn't said a _word_ about doing anything related to sports. All of a sudden, you decided not to show up for practice, which was pretty weird in itself because we had a few games coming up. I didn't mind it though since you had a pretty hectic ride, especially after all that court drama." Lynn nodded in agreement. "But then it got to a point where Coach was gonna cut you from the team if you kept missing practice, so I asked you then what was up; word for word, you said, 'I'm taking a break from sports'." Margo finished, rapping her fingers on her arm.

Lynn shifted her foot a little. "I _needed_ some time off from all that crap." She shrugged. "Wouldn't have been on my A-Game otherwise. _Not that I'm anywhere CLOSE to being there..._" She said the last part to herself.

"Ok," Margo nodded. "But I asked you again a couple months later when hockey season was starting up. You sounded like you were hesitating to say anything before you said you'd skip it. And I was like, 'But you LOVE hockey!' Then you said you wouldn't want to risk breaking your leg again." The buck-toothed teen tapped her foot in a heated manner. "I mean, I would've bought that if you were someone else, but there was no way I was gonna let that slide. I would've pestered you about it, but you already walked off." She started counting on her fingers. "Then you missed softball season again, _soccer_, and even basketball!"

Lynn furrowed her brows. "Hey, I showed up to support you and Paula for those games, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but point is: it's been _two, years_ Lynn. How much of a break do you need?" Margo refuted. "Was there something going on this whole time that you weren't telling me? Cause you're _definitely_ not the type to just take a two-year hiatus out of the blue."

Lynn pursed her lips as she bit her tongue, stopping whatever words were about to spew from her mouth. This was just one heated debate out of several that left Lynn lying awake at night when she wasn't being disturbed by her inner demon. As much as the Loud wanted to tell Margo what's really been eating her for the better part of two years, she felt she couldn't do so without losing the trust of her best friend. There was literally no way Lynn would be able to sugarcoat the fact she treated her brother like an object for her own goals and suffered the consequences of it. What would Margo think of her then? The most likely scenario would be Margo being disgusted, telling Lynn she deserved everything she got, and wanted nothing to do with her as long as she lived. She might even spread the news to Paula and anyone else the two girls were in close contact with, forever cementing Lynn as a loner.

But Margo was still her best friend...

And it was clear she worried for her; otherwise she wouldn't be interrogating her like this. It must've took a lot of patience for Margo to put up with Lynn's antics, even when she was enforcing those dumb rituals she used to do. One such case was the fact Lynn used to withhold going to the bathroom until she won a game; even if she really needed to go badly. After Lisa chided her about nearly screwing up her digestive system, Lynn could only imagine what Margo went through since she had enforced her beliefs on the team. There were even a couple times where Margo nearly crapped her pants in the middle of a game the Loud, which would've definitely embarrassed her to no end had she not made it to the bowl. Lynn was in the same boat; but where Margo experienced relief as soon as she could empty her bowels, Lynn had doubled over in pain numerous times as her system cleared itself.

The Loud clenched her fingers a bit; it was becoming next to impossible to just rebuff Margo again and assure her everything was fine. She owed some sort of explanation (and an overdo apology for forcing her through those ridiculous rituals), but Lynn still didn't feel comfortable telling her the full story...

Not yet at least.

"Look, if it's something going on at home or your parents said you can't do sports anymore, I'll understand." Margo stated, shifting her stance a little. "But it'd be dumb because you could've at least told me that a while ago…"

Lynn sighed, pushing herself off the fence. "Margo, you're my best friend; the first friend I've made since getting into sixth grade even. And," She averted her gaze for a moment. "I'm sorry I hadn't told you what's _really_ been my problem..." Looking back towards her friend. "You were half-right about me having issues at home, but it's not because of my parents making me skip sports." The former athlete paused for a few moments, her abs tightening to keep her anxiety levels down. "I-I stopped sports because..." She momentarily dispelled a huff through her nose. "I fucked up something two years ago, a-and I didn't want to end up making that same mistake again..."

Margo raised a brow. "Was it your grades?" The teen immediately retracted her statement. "No, wait. That doesn't make any sense cause we're in the same grade still. Plus, you were getting tutored..." She tapped a finger against her thumb. "Wait, you said it was at _home,_ right?"

Lynn nodded.

"Ooookaaaay...that just makes a whole lot of other questions."

The Loud put a hand up in case the Roberts girl had more questions. "I can't say much, mostly because I don't feel comfortable talking about it yet..." She put her hand down. "But I've been having some mental issues lately about what happened back then, and what I did not only to myself, but you and several others." Lynn furrowed her brows a little. "And I'm not gonna get back into sports until I figured myself out..."

Margo bit her cheek, still processing the new info Lynn gave her. She thought whatever Lynn's problem was could be a simple fix, knowing how stubborn the girl can be when faced with a challenge on her own. Now, what was supposed to be a one-way street, turned into a puzzle box; and Margo wasn't even sure where to start.

"Well..." Margo shoved her hands in her pockets. "I hope you can figure it out at some point...it's not the same playing on the field without you..."

"Mmm..." Lynn put a hand on her shoulder, managing to bring up a little smile. "Don't worry about me so much, alright? I got my bro and a few others helping me out."

"But if you told me earlier," Margo stared Lynn in the eye. "I could've at least known there was more going on and did something."

Lynn frowned. "I don't think you'd be able to help me with what I'm going through..." She removed her hand. "You'd probably be put off..."

Margo gave an unamused stare whilst raising a brow. "What makes you think that?"

Lynn shrugged. "Call it a hunch." She looked up at the sky for moment. "Look, I gotta get home." The brunette turned away and started walking. "You have fun on your date."

Margo stood on the spot as she watched Lynn take roughly 20 steps before breaking into another jog, her figure getting smaller as the distance between them grew. She tapped her foot in thought, wondering what exactly caused her best friend to quit a passion she wouldn't ever give up.

"Did she get into a fight with one of her siblings or something? I mean, Lynn is stubborn as hell sometimes, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary." She stared up at the clouds. "Or she got in trouble for throwing balls in the house and hit something important? Wouldn't be the first time she got grounded for it. At least that's what she told me..."

Margo shifted her gaze to the ground, ultimately giving a sigh before walking in the opposite direction. She still promised Rusty a date, which she initiated out of boredom. Made no sense to cancel it for little reason, especially since the redhead would end up antsy for a while if he spent hours trying to find the right shirt to wear. She just hoped her mood wouldn't ruin their little hangout.

As Margo walked, her eyes squinted a bit as a new thought developed. _"Rusty hangs out with Lincoln a lot, right? Maybe he knows something..."_

* * *

Lynn panted heavily as she reached the concrete walkway in front of the house, bringing her hands to her hips for support as she tried to stay up right. "Maybe...shouldn't...run up...that hill..." She breathed out before putting a hand on the railing for support as she walked up the front steps, her thighs screaming in protest as gravity fought to pull her down.

After getting onto the porch, Lynn put a hand on the wall and lifted a leg, grabbing the tip of her foot to pull it higher. Her muscles stretched out in sweet relief before she did the same with the other leg.

"Ahhhhh...better..." Lynn huffed before knocking on the door with a flat palm.

"Just a sec!" Came Lincoln's voice, though it sounded...very nasally. Sort of like how those supercomputer nerds talk.

Lynn shrugged it off, thinking her tired mind was simply misreading things. The moment the door opened though, the brunette went wide-eyed at the confirmation it wasn't just the door distorting her brother's voice. Lincoln stared back at her with a slightly annoyed expression, his appearance more or less the same; except for the two wads of facial tissue stuffed in his nose, with the ends bordering his nasal passages coated in blood.

Already knowing what she was staring at, "Go ahead...ask..." Lincoln stated in a heated tone.

"What the HECK happened to you?!" Lynn grabbed a hold of his face before leaning to get a better look at his nose. "Did you run into a door or something?!"

Lincoln's frown deepened before pushing Lynn away. "No..." Glancing to the side, "It was...something else..." If the lighting was a little better, Lynn would've caught on to the fact his cheeks were a little red.

"Lincoln," Lynn spoke as she folded her arms, "No one gets a nosebleed out of nowhere." Squinting an eye, "You...didn't have a seizure, did you?"

"It wasn't, but I missed a golden opportunity!" Came Luan's yell from what Lynn believed to be the kitchen.

The brunette only raised a brow, to which Lincoln didn't answer; not that he wanted to. Instead, he just gave an exasperated sigh before moving back from the doorway and headed towards the couch.

"What was she talking about?" Lynn asked, kicking the door shut.

"Nothing!" Lincoln spat, folding his arms.

"There sure wasn't a whole lot of _nothing_ going on down south!" Luan replied before giggling to herself.

Lynn couldn't tell whether it was a statement or an innuendo. The fact the comedian could be heard laughing meant it must've been the latter however, especially after seeing Lincoln sink in his seat as steam started to emit from his head. The brunette walked over to the couch, leaning on the back to Lincoln's left. Some movie was on the screen, but it was clear the boy wasn't paying any mind to it.

"Aight, what the heck happened?"

"I said it was nothing..." Lincoln stated as evenly as he could, not bothering to look up at her.

Lynn put a hand on his head. "Linc, if you don't tell me what the flip happened, I'm gonna ask Luan." She glanced at him. "And we both know she's not gonna stop cracking jokes about whatever it is she's getting at." She leaned down closer towards his ear. "And we both know we ain't gonna want to sit through it." She whispered.

Lincoln gave a groan before rolling his eyes. He still wasn't in the mood to discuss it, but if it meant Lynn would stop pestering him, then he'd oblige. Taking out his phone, he scrolled to the text message app and selected Ronalda's block. He turned the phone away from his face before it finished uploading, then shoved it towards Lynn. The former athlete raised a brow before grabbing it with one hand, developing a poker face when she saw a particular image that the fiery tomboy sent him. She looked at Lincoln's nose, then back to the picture.

"Ooooooh, I get it now." Lynn replied as a giggle fit overtook her.

"Mmmmm…." Lincoln shuffled in his seat as his cheeks grew redder.

"You saw it too I take it?" Luan called, this time standing in the archway to the dining room with a slice of pizza in her mouth.

"She doesn't look half-bad though." Lynn stated with a grin, looking the pictured 13-year-old over. "Definitely a catch for you bro."

"In more ways than one." Luan smugly added.

"Mmmm…." Lincoln growled in response.

"Ah, come on." The former athlete jumped over the back of the furniture, landing in the seat next to her brother before wrapping an arm around his shoulders, making the boy pass a sideways glare towards her. "Stop being a grumpy face. Do you know how many guys get girls that send them pictures like this?"

"No..." Came the white-haired teen's swift reply.

Lynn dropped her grin as a frown took shape. "Not many. Plus, remember what we talked about yesterday?" She showed the picture to her brother. Lincoln glanced at it, but not fully in case he ended up getting a second nosebleed. "You're pretty lucky to be in a good relationship with a girl looking this good Linc. And if she's this good right now," Lynn pointed to the picture before a wide grin crossed her lips. "Just imagine what Ronnie Anne will look like in a few years."

"Yep. You'll have to be defending her from all the pervs who want to see her curves." The comedian giggled.

"Besides." Lynn sat the phone down. "If anything, this is _proof_ that it's worth waiting for things to work out on her end."

Lincoln squinted his eyes. "Ok," He turned towards Lynn, which made her withdraw her arm. "When did you suddenly become a relationship advisor? You don't even have a boyfriend!"

Lynn smirked as she lied back on the couch. "I grew up faster than most would think." Raising a brow, "Remember that?"

Lincoln gave a half-lidded stare. "But that doesn't make you an expert on relationships."

The sweaty girl chuckled. "After that Girl Guru mess, I don't think you have room to talk."

"Linc," Luan cut in as she walked over. "Yours and Ronnie Anne's is somewhat of an open book." She leaned on the arm of the furniture. "I mean, it's to be expected cause you guys aren't that old yet, but it does mean we can give advice to help."

"I think you're forgetting your 'advice'," Lincoln gave air quotes on that word, "Got her to punch me in the face the first time." He folded his arms again. "At least you guys were lucky it was only because Ronnie Anne freaked out from me doing that."

Luan bit her cheek. "Ok, you got us there." A grin started to form seconds later. "But while we're on the topic, think about how much fun you and her will have...in the bedroom."

Lynn slapped a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter, whilst Lincoln's face developed a red hue. "Ugh!" He grabbed one of the couch pillows. "You guys are so embarrassing!" He screamed out before chucking it at the comedian.

The tall girl easily ducked out of the way. "Comes with the job. Plus, I could've used those jokes if I was at home when you had that nosebleed." She shifted her position a little. "Instead I was out hanging with Benny..."

"And that's supposed to be a bad thing?" Lynn quipped.

"No, but a missed opportunity is still a missed opportunity." Luan responded, taking a few steps back. As she turned towards the stairs, the jokester let loose one last pun. "At least Lincoln now has a picture he can jerk to." She laughed again as two more pillows were flung in her direction. Both smacked into the wall, one of which nearly breaking a picture of Lily when she was still in diapers.

"Pfff. What's your deal Lincoln?" Lynn asked as she sat up. "I thought you were used to getting teased about your relationship."

"I am. It's just..." Lincoln grabbed his phone before pocketing it. "It's the fact I had a nosebleed in front of everyone. I think something like this should've been private."

"Ok." Lynn nodded. "But Clyde used to get nosebleeds all the time; as nasty as they were." The former athlete shrugged. "Still don't see why you gotta make a huge fuss about it."

"Well, when you get a boyfriend, you'll understand."

"Hey." Lynn sat up with an indignant look on her face. "I almost had one that _ONE_ time." She then directed her gaze towards the floor as her lips curled into a bitter frown. "We could've worked something out..."

Lincoln bit his cheek, a twinge of regret settling in his stomach as he knew exactly what Lynn was mulling over. Even after two years, that love letter moment remained a bit of a sore spot for the ex-sporty Loud. However, being who he was, Lincoln had a plan to rectify the situation.

"Personally Lynn, I don't think he was your type." The brunette looked at him with a look that was somewhat hurt while at the same time wondering if he lost his mind. The middle child knew he would have to clarify quick or Lynn might be inclined to slap him. "I mean, he doesn't know what he's missing by not dating you. Yeah, you're a bit rough around the edges, but that doesn't make you less interesting. When did you meet him in the first place?"

Lynn pursed her lips for a moment before answering. "On the field after a baseball game between our teams." She glanced at the TV. "And that was _before_ all of that other stuff happened..."

Lincoln nodded. "Ok. Now, I think you just fell into a case of 'love at first site'. He was a nice-looking guy, you liked sports, he clearly liked sports because he was on the other team, and you decided to go after him."

Lynn furrowed her brows a bit before looking at her brother. "Are you saying I'm shallow?..."

"No, I'm just saying you didn't know much about him other than he liked some sports." Lincoln pointed out. "It's sort of like how Lucy had a crush on that one boy she ran into when she was looking at caskets. We both know that was more or less just a passing crush until she met Rusty's brother. So, you pretty much landed in the same boat as her." The boy chuckled a little. "It's like you guys are copying each other."

Lynn sat her elbow on the arm of the couch, propping her head up on her open palm. "We're roomies, so it wouldn't be weird." She folded one leg over the other. "I ain't laughin' though..."

"Thing is Lynn, you'll find someone else like Lucy did." A smug grin appeared on the white-haired teen's face. "And I think I know who."

Lynn put her hand up to cut him short. "Linc, this isn't some Dream Boat episode." She glared at him. "And I know _who_ you're talking about. But do you really think doing this romance gig is a good idea while I have my own excess baggage to handle?"

Lincoln looked a little deflated at his inclination getting shot down. "Probably...but it might help."

"Yeah..." Lynn shrugged, turning back to the TV. "Probably..."

A few moments passed as the two sat in silence, the noise of the TV filling the void.

"Oh, and speaking of which," Lynn started, looking back towards him. "Did you respond at all to Ronnie's text? I doubt someone like her wouldn't get pissed if you didn't answer."

"Well, sort of." Lincoln replied, pulling out his phone again. "While I was out of it, Luna took my picture and sent it to her, which she took as an answer."

Lynn smirked. "Good, cause we'd have to tie you to a chair and feed you Dad's brussels sprouts."

Lincoln huffed in response. "Don't you have a shower to take, stinky?"

Lynn's lips pouted a little. "Fine." She kicked her legs over the edge before standing up. However, she didn't immediately turn towards the stairs, for instead she looked at her brother with a smirk.

Lincoln immediately caught on, as he was shaking his head in disapproval. "Lynn, no."

"Yes." The brunette nodded, daring to come closer.

"No." Lincoln scooted further away as his sister approached. "No, NO. I just finished cleaning my face!"

"Too bad!" Lynn cheered before making her move.

Before Lincoln could bolt from his seat, Lynn jumped him, bringing the poor boy into a crushing hug as her weight pinned him into the cushions.

"Oh God, you smell like molded cheese!" Came Lincoln's muffled cry as he pushed against Lynn's chest. He turned his head to the side so he could breath, only for Lynn block his view by shoving her headband into his face. "Ewww! Why do you sweat so much?!"

"I can't run as much as I used to yet." Lynn giggled before finally releasing him. Lincoln bolted upright, gulping down that sweet, clean air for his lungs. "Love ya bro." The former jock smiled as she ruffled Lincoln's now messy and sweat-damped hair.

Lincoln hastily pointed up the stairs. "Just take a shower!"

Lynn raised her hands in defense, a coy smile on her face before she raced up the stairs, skipping a few steps at a time before reaching the top. Lincoln wiped traces of sweat off his face, grimacing at the fact his hand reeked of body odor. It didn't take a Lisa to figure that the rest of his head and chest smelt like rotten fish, and looking to where Lynn had been lying for 15 minutes, there was a large, damp spot on that end of the couch.

Lincoln squeezed his eyes shut as fumes started rising from the top of his head. "Great..." He got up. "Now I gotta get the Febreze and mint scent..." The teen groaned as he stalked towards the kitchen.

* * *

Some few hours away from Royal Woods, Great Lakes City was finally starting to become less congested as the evening rush began to die down; though there was an accident on the central highway due to a BMW driver cutting off a tractor trailer with only feet to spare. Long story short, the BMW was written off and the driver of said vehicle was at fault for being reckless. But none of this mattered to one certain mother of two kids as she arrived at her family's bodega.

Maria stepped out of her car with a yawn, arching her back slightly to get rid of the stiffness that came with being caught in traffic for a whole hour. She reached in to grab her purse and Starbucks coffee cup before kicking the door shut, making sure to lock it before moving towards the apartment entrance.

"These long hours are making me feel like I'm _sixty_..." She muttered, taking a sip of her mildly warm coffee as she slipped through the door. The nurse readjusted her purse strap when she felt it slip, shaking her head a little as the caffeine began to reawaken her tired body. "Only 3 more years to put up with this..."

Back in Royal Woods, Maria worked a typical shift of 40 hours a week on a five-day schedule; while occasionally pulling a double if required. She still does, Monday through Friday. But when you add college or any scholarly classes to that schedule, it feels like you're working _two_ jobs every week. And for five days out of that week, Maria often found herself being awake for nearly 19 hours straight. There wasn't a scheduling conflict between her classes and her job as a nurse at the local hospital; it was pretty seamless actually. Her classes started at 8:30 and didn't end until 3 or 4. But then she'd be working from 5 to 11 before heading home and repeating the process the next day.

And the next day. And the next day. And the next day.

Until Saturday arrived and gave her a chance to relax; which she did by spending half of it sleeping. Maria didn't like having to drink coffee often, as there were some long-term side effects she wished to avoid; she crashed pretty hard after midterms during her first semester. But it became such a necessity that she drank it (at best) twice a day. And the matriarch was certain it wasn't helping her mood much either.

Climbing up the steps, Maria let out a groan as her legs started to feel a little like jelly. "Wish Mama had put an elevator in this place..."

The would-be doctor paused for a moment when she heard loud footfalls coming from somewhere up top, already feeling the vibrations as the person in question came down. Mrs. Chang hummed to herself a tune that Maria didn't quite get, though it sounded similar to those K-Pop songs her daughter frequently blasts in her room. In her hands was a small cage, but from the angle, Maria couldn't tell what it was.

The zoologist rounded the corner at the second floor almost at the same time Maria reached the top step. Becca yelped as she scrambled back a few feet, almost tripping over herself before she finally caught her balance. The creature in the cage cawed, immediately telling the widow it was some kind of bird.

"S-Sorry Maria! Didn't see you there." Becca quickly apologized. The bird started squawking several times, to which the zookeeper reached through the bars with her finger to pet it. "Don't worry Amy. Everything's fine." The woman spoke in a soothing tone.

Maria couldn't help the smile forming at such a cute scene. "So who's this little guy?"

"Well," Becca smiled and held the cage a little higher, revealing the bird in question to be a small owl. "This is Amy, and _she's _a Forest Owlet. Her species lives in a few remote regions throughout India," The zookeeper frowned. "But the poor dear's species is nearly extinct..."

Maria squinted an eye as she placed a hand on her hips. "She looks pretty small for an owl. I thought she'd be a little..." She waved her hand in a so-so manner.

"Bigger?" Becca finished. "Yeah. Normally, owls are about the size of eagles, but Amy's species is short and pretty stocky." Becca rubbed the top of the owl's head, causing Amy to settle further on her perch. "Though you don't wanna get between these guys and their meal. Those talons aren't just for show." The blonde pointed towards the bird's feet, which had talons that looked grossly big for its size.

Amy looked around for a moment before ducking her head under her wing to adjust her feathers. "If getting outcompeted by other predators doesn't kill these little guys, the constant overlogging will..."

"So you've been looking after her for a while?" The nurse asked in a tone that sounded more like an assumption.

Becca nodded. "Until tonight that is. Her enclosure is finally ready, annnnnd it's my turn to watch the nocturnals." She rubbed the back of her head as a sheepish smile came forth. "So what about you?" She raised a brow. "Working hard or hardly working?"

Maria grinned slightly. "Definitely the former. Might need to take a couple vacation days to get rid of these Crows Feet." She gestured towards the lines next to her eyes.

Becca couldn't help but notice the small eyebags that were also present. "Probably tack a month onto that. When was the last time you actually took a break?"

Maria bit her cheek as she stared upward, her frazzled brain trying to recall any point she had let herself relax. It definitely hadn't been within this past year, as her classes kept her busy during the spring and fall. Summer wasn't a time to chill either as the hospital got swamped at times due to weather-related incidents; and Maria unfortunately didn't have enough leave time to call out for more than a day.

The nurse shrugged. "I guess it had to have been some time before me and the kids moved from Royal Woods." A downcast look appeared soon after. "Before Marcus died..."

Becca frowned almost instantly, a twinge of guilt filling her chest. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to remind you about-"

"No no, it's fine." Maria waved offhandedly. "I'm used to it at this point."

"Well..." Becca paused, wondering if she should just cut the small talk and leave; not that she was in a rush anyway. Not wanting to leave things in a negative mood though, she opted for a different topic. "Are you ready for our girls to visit Royal Woods?"

Probably not a good idea to mention the city, but Becca knew Maria wasn't _that _sensitive.

The fact a smile replaced her frown put the zookeeper's heart at ease. "I know a certain someone can't wait to see her _novio_. Ronalda would be biting at my ankles if I didn't let her visit whenever possible."

Becca chuckled. "I can only imagine."

"I'm pretty sure she's eager to get out the apartment for a while." Another frown was shaping up as Maria recalled the news she had told her kids regarding her classes. "She...didn't like the fact I still have a few more years..."

The zoologist raised a brow. "She misses her old friends that much?"

Maria narrowed her eyes a little. "She...didn't have a lot of friends back in Royal Woods. Or they never dropped by the house much." She tapped her chin. "I _do _know that her and Lincoln had stopped getting flustered at being called a couple not long before I had us move."

Becca gave a longing sigh. "Young love...they finally figured out their feelings, but were forced apart..." She sniffled a little whilst wiping a tear from her eye. "It's like a romantic tragedy!"

Amy held an indifferent look as she hooted disparagingly.

The zoologist looked down at her feathered companion with a small glare. "Oh hush."

Maria huffed a little. "Even if they are separated," She sipped her coffee again. "It's better than having my kids sleeping on the street. It was getting harder to stay on top of the bills every month that passed..." There was a hint of irritation in her tone, though Becca didn't know whether it was intentional or not. "I don't know how the cost of living there became so expensive..."

"Might be something you could talk to the mayor about." The blonde advised. Amy squawked as she flapped her wings. "Alright alright, let's get you to your new home." Becca sidestepped past Maria as she headed down the stairs. "See you later Maria."

"Adios." The nurse replied back before continuing up the stairwell, beginning to get lost in her thoughts as her body went on autopilot.

* * *

Rosa was in the midst of preparing the family's most important meal of the day: dinner. Along with some dessert to go along with it. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, Rosa smiled as she realized she was right on schedule.

Being in an apartment with 13 people (15 if you included Lori and Carol) allowed Rosa to mentally log the times her family would typically be at home. Roberto and Hector were down at the Bodega, which wouldn't close for another 90 minutes, so she could expect them around 7. Carlos didn't necessarily have to work today since the semester was over, but he was covering for another faculty member who ran a summer course version of his subject; he would arrive home in 20 minutes if he doesn't get caught in traffic like last time. Frida was at the convention center giving a presentation, which should have wrapped up by now so she would be home in twenty-something minutes.

The kids were a bit of an oddball: their school schedules make it easy to predict their movements, but during the breaks it became much more difficult to predict when they'd be home for dinner. The only silver lining is that Rosa laid out what time she wanted them home so they could eat.

Not like they'd starve otherwise with how much she cooks...

Anyway, Carlino was busy looking after his little brother, so it was certain they were just waiting for dinner to get done; Rosa had no clue where Carlos Jr. was, but he might've been down in the bodega with Bobby. She was aware that Carlota was shopping with Ronalda at the mall; the grandmother grinned a little at how challenging of a task _that _must be. The young teen was never one for girly things, or at least what she perceived as _"too embarrassing to wear."_ Rosa didn't expect that to take very long.

As for Lori and Carol, the flower shop closes at 6:30 daily; unless it's Saturday, in which it would close at 8. So they too would be arriving home soon.

Rosa hummed in thought as she placed a chicken in the oven. "Maria's semester is over, so she would have readjusted her work schedule to an earlier time." Glancing at the clock, "And she should've gotten off and took a few shortcuts to dodge traffic, which means she's going to walk through the door right...about..." The elderly woman paused upon hearing the front door open.

"Mama?" Maria called out.

Grinning to herself, "Now."

Sergio whistled in approval. "You psychic mom?"

"A parent knows their niñas well." Rosa replied before walking into the hallway. "Hola hija!"

"Hey mom." The nurse hugged the shorter woman, who returned it in kind.

"How was work?"

"About as busy as it'll get." The nurse yawned again. "Tiring me out a lot more than usual."

"Hmmm." Rosa checked her daughter's eyes. "You almost look as bad as the time Carlota tried staying up well past her bedtime to catch one of those," She groaned. "Ugh, boy band shows..." Pulling down one of Maria's lower eyelids, she frowned at the number of blood lines leading towards her pupil. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"

Maria sighed. "Mom..." She set her purse on the table. "Can I ask you something?..."

Judging by the sorrowful look on Maria's face and the depressed tone in her voice when she asked, Rosa could tell this was a private matter. Without saying a word, the grandmom took her daughter's hand and lead her towards her room.

"Uh oh." Sergio looked towards the reader. "Drama bomb!"

Once the two were in the elder couple's bedroom, Rosa shut the door before hurriedly taking a seat on the bed. She patted a spot next to her for Maria to sit, with the nurse complying after a few reluctant seconds.

"What troubles you hija?"

"Mom..." Maria twiddled her thumbs. "Do you think it was right for me to move up here with the kids?..."

Rosa raised a brow. "I..." She tried to figure out what exactly it was Maria was getting at, but kept drawing blanks. "I do not understand what you mean..."

"...Things were difficult to manage after Marcus died. The bills were starting to pile up and I could barely keep on top of them, Bobby had gotten a few jobs to help our financial situation even; but sometimes I wouldn't have enough money to buy what we needed from the grocery store..." Maria breathed in silence for a moment. "And that was nothing to say about the overall demeanor of my children: Ronalda practically shut herself in her room for a while, and Roberto..." She huffed a little. "He might not have shown it much, but he was torn up on the inside." The nurse furrowed her brows. "I wanted to be there for both of them, but because of our financial situation, I found myself constantly pulling double shifts just so we could live comfortably. And that meant I'd barely see my kids at all throughout the week..."

Maria sat her hands in her lap. "I can't thank Lori and Lincoln enough for keeping them happy and distracted from how dim everything seemed; and I owe Rita my eternal thanks for getting off that wine streak I had. But even now, I _still _don't have any time to spend with my kids because I'm practically working two jobs five days a week..." She blinked back a couple tears as her eyes started to feel watery. "I feel like my kids are gonna get too used to not having their parents around at such a young age..."

Rosa hummed in understanding, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Maria, you know you don't have to be overworking yourself. I understand that you wanted to continue with your nursing job so you have some income, but if you're working to become a doctor, then don't you think you could afford to take a bit of time off work?"

"Mama..." Maria gave the elderly woman a side glance. "I still have to pay for tuition, along with my car note. And I'm not keen on accumulating debt I'll have to pay off when I finish..."

"I wasn't suggesting that you put in a loan hija, but you could let _us_ help in that regard so you can just focus on school."

Maria whipped her head towards her mother, rather aghast at what she was suggesting. "B-But mom...those are my-" The nurse was silenced when Rosa put a finger to her lips.

"Yes, I know you're capable of handling it Maria; but as your mother I don't want my baby to work herself to death." She removed her finger from Maria's mouth, now grasping both of her daughter's hands with a smile. "You've been through a lot over the past two years, and I believe it's time you dial things back. Roberto and Ronalda are as happy as they can be, they're doing well in school, and they have several friends they can hang out with." She frowned. "But as you said, they need their mother in their life. Roberto has grown into a fine young man, but he still has much to learn. The same can be said for Ronalda, and she will continue to need her mother's guidance as she grows into a mature woman. After all, her Quinceañera is only two years away."

Maria nodded, starting to stare off into space. "It almost feels like yesterday when I held her for the first time, and she used to look up to her brother." A smile formed as the Santiago matriarch suppressed a short giggle. "Well, she still does, but not to the point she follows him around 24/7."

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree hija." Rosa booped her daughter on the nose. "You did the same thing with Carlos when you were a bebé."

Maria giggled, pushing her mother's finger away. "I didn't follow him around _that_ much. But I guess you're right."

"Mother knows best, as they say." Rosa laughed a little. "Now, come next semester, your father and myself will cover your tuition."

Maria couldn't help the frown formed out of worry. "Are you sure you want to do that Mom?"

"Oh por favor, your billing statement isn't that much." Rosa replied as she waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "You're only taking 3 classes per semester as it is. Now you should've seen Carlos' bill when he was in school." The grandmom chuckled. "Hector nearly had a heart attack _three times_ before he found out Carlos' scholarship covered most of the price."

Maria put a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I remember that. Dad's hair actually started getting thinner by then."

The two women spent a few seconds laughing at the fond memory before settling down. "Feel better dear?"

"Yeah..." Maria turned to her mother and delivered a warm hug. "Thanks Mom."

"Anything for you mi bebé." Rosa replied whilst returning the hug. "If you have any other problems, you just come to me, ok?"

Maria nodded. "I will."

"We still need to find you a new husband though." Rosa added with a coy smile.

Maria went wide-eyed as a huge blush overtook her face. "Mama!"

"Relax, I'm only joking." Rosa laughed. "I doubt anyone could replace that man in your heart." Out of curiosity, the elderly woman looked at the clock on the nightstand, only to let out a gasp at time it read. "Dios Mío! Everyone's gonna be home soon, and I still have to finish preparing!" She hurriedly got up from the bed.

Maria pursed her lips. "Don't worry Mom," She stood up as well. "I'll help."

"Gracias hija!" Rosa replied as she practically threw the door open and ran down the hall, the lower end of her blouse pulled up so she wouldn't inadvertently catch it with her feet.

Maria chortled for a second, putting her hands on her hips. "That's mom for ya. Always trying to fatten us up."

As she exited the room, her mind wandered to that one statement about "finding a new man". The nurse lost her enthusiasm for a moment as she recalled the nights where she lied awake staring up at the ceiling, the sounds of cars rushing by the apartment filling the dark silence surrounding her. Occasionally, Maria would find herself taking up only half the mattress despite being the sole occupant of the room; an arm would be stretched out in the spot her husband would've occupied. Upon realizing this, the upcoming doctor would stare at the cold spot for hours, longing for the warmth of a spouse that wasn't coming back. The first few weeks of sleep back in Royal Woods often started with Maria crying until her brain finally wore itself out, but getting sleep since then wasn't any better.

Just ask anyone in the apartment how the first Day of the Dead celebration went.

Rosa's inside joke also came with literal intent at one point; namely, Carlota tried setting up Maria with numerous guys she found on a website for singles. All of them were turned down, and humorously, Ronnie Anne even shut one session down because it was cutting into the time she was using to hang out with her mother.

_"Carlota means well, but I don't think I'm ready to put myself on the market again..." _Maria folded her arms as she slowly paced down the hall. _"Plus, I think it'd be best if she gets a boyfriend of her own first so she can learn a thing or two about romance before trying to hook up a widow..."_

The nurse was so wrapped in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone was directly in front of her.

"Ah!" A young, feminine voice yelped, pulling the older woman from her thoughts.

Maria refocused her vision as she halted in place, realizing she almost bumped into her kin. "Oh, sorry Ronalda!" Rubbing her arm nervously, "I didn't realize you were back."

"I'm fine Mom." Ronalda replied as she adjusted her hold on the large paper bag full of clothes. "Are you ok?" She raised a brow. "You looked a little spaced out for a minute."

"Y-Yeah, I'm ok." Maria smiled nervously. "Just...gonna help Abuela in the kitchen!" Without another word, the nurse quickly shuffled past her daughter, who watched her walk past the doorway that led into the kitchen.

Ronalda squinted an eye at her mother's behavior, though she assumed it might've had to do with her mother constantly chugging down all that coffee. _"Maybe I ought to get Mom on some other energy drink." _The tomboy thought to herself.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, Ronalda figured she could work on that later. Right now, she needed to compile a list with Sid so they could decide on what to do when they got to Royal Woods.

**A/N: One of the hardest things for Lynn has been her inability to tell her closest friends about the truth to what happened during the events of Worth. She has the right to worry because even though something happened in the past, it doesn't mean people will simply let things go. But the fact Margo was still worried regardless is changing her mind on the matter. Naturally, Evil Lynn is still around to mock and goad Lynn into being her old, brutish self, so she's certain to have a few episodes on occasion.**

**And let's not forget Maria, who's still reeling from becoming a widow. I know on Relative Chaos she was worried about her kids being lonely, but they never did explore the fact she ought to be worried about them getting used to the fact they're rarely see her. Given how we don't see Maria much even with the new show, it feels like wasted potential in the almost the same way Arturo exists.**

**Anyway, next chapter will feature a little time skip to bring the gang together.  
**


	6. The Girls Are Back In Town

**A/N: Geez, been over half a year since I updated this. Well, not anymore! This ball needs to get rolling too, and I have plenty of ideas needed to be written into this story. **

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The sun appears to be out in almost all hours of the day, the humidity has risen, storms are becoming more frequent (and more intense), and the temperature would almost make the day a scorcher if it weren't for the cool breeze. But who gives a crap about that? There's only one thing that mattered to anyone...

NO MORE SCHOOL! (until late August)

Kids didn't have to put up with their boring teachers, and the faculty didn't have to deal with shitty kids and their problems until the job demanded they did. Unless you got the short stick and had to do summer courses...

Officially, the summer solstice was just a week or two away, but almost everyone in Royal Woods had plans to get away during the hottest parts of the year; going out of town to the beaches of Florida, taking road trips to the east or west, or just chilling at home for a while because you had no money to plan extensive trips.

For the Louds, it was a mix of all three.

The highlight within the past week was Luna and Sam walking across the stage to receive their diplomas. And then there was what could be described as _'__The Most Rockin' Graduation Party Of All Time'_.

Well, not exactly; it was what Luna said.

But it was still pretty sweet gig. There was music hosted by the recent graduates, NON-alcoholic drinks (though at one point someone attempted to spike the punch bowl), plenty of activities...it made Lori's party look like it was for a typical birthday get-together.

But, as with all parties at the Loud House, there were some downsides. We're talking about noise complaints, trash being thrown everywhere, a fire nearly breaking out because someone didn't have proper care for using fireworks, some of the kids getting a sugar high, and some of the windows were blown out due to a certain Loud going overboard during her shredding.

The afterparty was an absolute _hell_ to clean up; and Luna found herself short half a grand.

Whether it was worth it or not depends on who you ask, but Lincoln had other things to be happy about. With the start of summer break underway, it meant the annual family road trip to Weeping Willow Resort & Lodge was just a few weeks out. Unlike last time, the family took extra steps to make sure things went as planned; i.e. frequent route and weather checks on the days leading up to the trip, picking out a reasonable time to check in, Lana doing multiple checks on Veronica to ensure everything from the engine and windows to the cup holders was functioning properly, and (most importantly) saving up enough money to rent rooms for 15 people.

Unfortunately, if you were Leni, you were prohibited from making on-the-road meals. However, this served as a blessing in disguise; her organization skills had a chance to run the show. Whenever someone on the family seemed to forget something, she'd be the one to ask and point them in the right direction. You might think this would be ill-advised since Leni is...Leni; but she grew into her role as the eldest sibling of the house rather well after Lori's departure.

After she was done moping about how Lori wouldn't be around for months at a time during her first semester at college.

And speaking of the oldest Loud sibling, that's the reason why Lincoln was in a good mood this morning. Today was when Lori and Carol were coming home for summer break; with some very important plus twos. His favorite sister coming down was awesome enough, but with her bringing Ronalda and Sid as well made the teen not even mind getting up before the sun was above the horizon to do his paper route.

"At least this is my last week." Lincoln muttered to himself as he pulled another rolled up paper from the bike's basket before flinging it towards a neighbor's door. It landed squarely on the mat. "And he's done it again. High-five!" The Loud raised both hands before smacking them together. "All that pitching practice with Lynn is finally paying off."

It was no secret that, in terms of contribution, the middle child came in dead last thanks to having to use his earnings to pay for all the broken windows and dented mailboxes from his bad throws two years ago; who knew 7 pounds of rolled-up paper could do all _that?!_ That's why _last_ year, he didn't feel confident in using the paper route and had instead did odd jobs around the neighborhood. It's best left said he'd have to be dragged to hell before he stuffed his hands into dirty gutters.

So, he came to Lynn about working on his aim.

That in itself was difficult because she was still at a point where her confidence about doing anything related to sports was nearly nonexistent. However, (after a long conversation and some desperate begging) Lincoln managed to convince her he only needed to figure out what he was doing wrong and she just had to watch and give her own input. That week alone felt like it was what kickstarted Lynn's reignited interest in sports. Seeing her act more like her old self, having an aura of enthusiasm, and speaking in a professional manner as she drilled him gave Lincoln hope that Lynn could see that she can move on from the past.

"Too bad that seemed tedious at best..." Lincoln mulled before throwing another paper. He watched as it hit the door before falling harmlessly to the ground. A chuckle escaped him as a small pooch poked its head out the doggy door, grabbed it in its mouth and took it inside.

Pulling his mind away from his troubled sister, Lincoln's thoughts drifted towards Ronnie Anne. Visits from her were quite infrequent; the last time she had been to Royal Woods was last winter break. She would've made plans for spring break, but her family already had the idea to hit the road to the Big Apple around that time. Lincoln didn't picture himself as 'needy', but every time she visited, he felt...wholesome...if he could call it that.

Of course, that made every end feel like a punch to the gut.

He always found himself taking in her beauty whenever she was around: the way she smiled, the times she let her hair down, whenever she laughed, and (naturally) he sometimes let his eyes wander around her body. Lincoln's face developed a scarlet hue at that last thought. He didn't truly understand why he felt this way around Ronnie Anne sometimes. Originally, he was attracted to her because of her tough, yet friendly personality. But lately he noticed...other, things...about her; hence the bloody nose episode earlier in the week. Make no mistake, he knew of the birds and the bees. Lisa sort of made it a point to teach everyone about human reproduction when they were at the right age, but her usual tone made it sound all boring and sciencey. He didn't expect to be feeling this onset of emotions that made him feel flustered and, dare he say it, a little funny in his pants.

Was that what it felt like to _really _be in love? In both mind _and _body? Lincoln had the idea that the body part led to 'human copulation', but it left him speechless when experiencing it first hand. And the worst part? He couldn't help but just notice the way her legs curved, how her thighs seemed to fill her shorts just right, and don't get him started on the-

_PFFFF!_

Whilst he was distracted, and with a funny look on his face, the Loud hadn't noticed the subtle pull he made on the handle as he veered off the sidewalk and onto the grass. He was pulled out of his daydream when he smacked into some rose bushes.

Lincoln groaned and hissed as his upper body poked out of a bush, his arms and face lacerated at certain spots. "That's gonna sting for a while..." He eyed a thorn stuck in his cheek. The moment he pulled it off, hot pain erupted from the spot, making him recoiled instantly. "Ow!"

"LOUD!" Lincoln flinched as he heard the unmistakable angry voice of his neighbor. Turning his head, Mr. Grouse was halfway out the nearest window with his usual scowl adorned for the world to see. "Get your keester out of my roses! You're ruinin' my sprouting buds!"

"S-Sorry Mr. Grouse!" Lincoln stuttered, looking down before bending into the green. He pulled out one of the thrown out papers, shaking off the twigs and leaves. "Here's your paper." He smiled nervously.

The elderly man grumbled as he grabbed the paper. "Thanks..." He took off the rubber band and flicked it away. "So what's got you in the clouds today?" He asked while reading the headline.

"Lori's coming back for the summer, and she's bringing Ronnie Anne with her." Lincoln replied as he stepped out of the bushes, brushing his clothes off once free.

"Ronnie Anne?" Henry turned the page. "Isn't that the little skater girl you have a thing fer?"

Lincoln's face went a little red as he recalled his thoughts before they were interrupted. "Y-Yeah..." He busied himself with setting his bike back up, then he knelt down to dig into the rose bush to find the last paper he had.

"Well, if ya want," Henry looked out over the window to take note of the damage to his bushes. "You can take some of those roses you just ruined." Turning his attention back to the paper. "Might as well since you broke the stems."

Lincoln raised a brow as he leaned up whilst pulling the paper loose from its entanglement. Seeing where his body left an imprint, some of the roses did indeed have their lifelines broken with a pedal or two having fallen off. However, they weren't completely dead yet; and the Loud had to admit, it was a pretty sweet suggestion. Ronnie Anne usually preferred something long lasting if she were to get a surprise gift, but she wasn't one to turn down good food or flowers.

"Wow. Uh, t-thanks!" Lincoln replied.

"Just don't make it a habit..." Henry scolded before closing his window.

Lincoln didn't have any scissors or sheers, but the stems were weak enough to break without damaging the flowers any further. Picking out seven, and making sure not accidentally touch a thorn, he guided his bike back onto the sidewalk.

"Even though he was mad, Mr. Grouse thought of a gift I could give her." Looking down at the flowers, "I read somewhere that red flowers were a symbol for love." A warm smile formed on his face. "And I do love her, a lot..." He had the mind to go back and pick more, but he didn't want to be greedy; and risk irritating his neighbor further.

Pulling up to his house, Lincoln left his bike at the base of the steps before climbing up to the front door. Turning the knob, he only opened the door a crack before a white muzzle poked through the opening. Lincoln smiled as Charles gave a cheerful bark before sticking out halfway through the door, smelling his owner's shoes.

The middle child knelt down and petted the pitbull terrier affectionately. "Here ya go boy." He held the paper in front of the canine's face, who gleefully grabbed and shook it vigorously in his maw, sending a few pages flying. Satisfied, the dog turned and hopped back through the door.

Turning to the viewer, "What? You thought it was for my dad? He gets his news online now." He walked down the steps. "Charles always wants a paper so he can bury it. Guess he gets bored of his chew toy these days." He continued whilst shrugging. "Though sometimes Lana will want one as cage liner or..." He rolled his eyes. "She'll bury it too."

Looking at the clutch of roses in hand, the Loud pushed the door open wider before stepping inside. No one was awake yet, seeing as his parents' door was still shut, and nary the sound of floorboards creaking upstairs.

Lincoln grinned. "Perfect." He moved towards the kitchen through the dining room. "Don't want anyone spoiling anything."

Inside the kitchen, the Loud opened up one of the lower cupboards and grabbed a small plastic wrap with some scissors. Cutting off the thorns, he then tied the flowers off with a rubberband then used a second one to tie the plastic to encase the flower stems. Satisfied with his work, the boy gingerly walked up the stairs as to not alert his sleeping siblings, soon placing the roses on his dresser.

"And now," Lincoln dusted his hands of any dirt. "Time to get paid!"

* * *

"Are you sure you got everything, dear?"

"Yes Mom."

"Got your toothbrush?"

"Yeah."

"Enough clothes to last more than a week?"

"Yes..."

"Did you also remember to pack your swim wear?"

The young teen rolled her eyes before lifting one of her swim trunks high enough for her mother to see. "Yes, Mom." Ronalda put the shorts back in her suitcase before turning her head just enough to glance backwards. "I already went over everything I wanted to bring last night."

Maria chortled a little. "Just making sure. Though I'm not ready to become a grandmother yet."

Ronnie Anne was glad she already turned back to focus on arranging the clothes in her suitcase, as her mom would've seen the red hue that overtook her cheeks. "W-We haven't...uh..." She stuttered out. The immediate shock from her mother's words didn't last long as anger started to overtake her. "UGH!" She slammed her hands on the mattress and turned hotly towards the woman. "Really Mom?!"

Maria had a hand covering her mouth to suppress a fit of giggles. "Just playing with you sweetie. I'm more concerned with Lori and Roberto on that end. I know you and Lincoln are still years away from that."

Ronnie Anne bit her cheek, not really buying that statement. "That was a poor joke..."

"Probably." Maria shrugged. "But, you _are_ two years away from your quinceanera." She sat on a part of the bed that wasn't occupied with clothes. Giving a light sigh, "Those days raising you from a bebé to a little girl weren't easy."

"Psssh." Ronnie Anne scoffed, grabbing one of her shirts and started to fold it. "I couldn't have been _THAT _bad."

Maria gave a knowing smirk. "One time, you lost your pacifier, and wouldn't stop crying until we got a new one. Marcus had to go out in the dead of night to buy one," She snorted. "A-And not even Bobby could make you happy!" The nurse paused as to get the laughter out of her system, much to Ronalda's annoyance. "Also, you threw up on him when he tried to hold you."

Ronalda paused her task, pursing her lips with a neutral look in her eyes. "...I don't remember that..." She packed the shirt and repeated the process with her shorts.

"Do you still remember the time you two were," Maria started an air quote with her fingers. "Lightning Pals?"

"Pretty sure I'm not the only one who gets afraid of a thunderstorm when I'm 3." Ronalda stated evenly as she grabbed the last garment before folding it and placing it in her suitcase. "At least we didn't pick 'Thunder Buddies'..."

Maria chuckled lightly. "Bobby took forever to get past that phase. Marcus always took joy in making fake thunder sounds just to spook you kids."

Ronalda smiled a little as she pushed down on her clothes. "Yeah...kinda hated when he did it, but..."

The smiles on both Santiagos fell near simultaneously. "I miss that man..." Maria stated solemnly.

Ronnie Anne watched her mother out the corner of her eye, seeing her eyes start to become wet as she sat in silence. It was next to impossible watching her mother silently grieve; sometimes she'd be in such a state for hours at a time if it was dwelled on for more than a few minutes.

Pulling her attention away from her luggage, Ronnie pushed the suitcase aside before sitting next to her mom. "I miss him too Mom..." She wrapped an arm behind her mother's back. "But you still have me and Bobby. So you don't need to cry alone..."

"I know..." The upcoming doctor pulled her daughter closer. "And I have both you and him to thank for keeping me levelheaded to some degree..."

Ronalda gave a cut nod. _"Though we both owe Mrs. Loud most of the credit..."_

Maria may not have known about it, but Ronnie Anne had noticed her mother's slide into alcoholism during the early part of the family's struggle after her father died. The widow didn't drink so openly, probably because a part of her felt shameful for turning to such an unsightly act as a coping mechanism. Thankfully, it didn't get to a point where Maria might inadvertently take her frustrations out on her own kin, but seeing her mother falling from grace and possibly becoming an abusive mother...

Once in a blue moon Ronnie Anne would have a night terror on the matter...

During the few times she managed to catch glimpses of her mother's sin, a part of Ronalda was deeply considering trying to talk her mother out of the habit. This was always struck down due to the young girl still dealing with the grief in her own way (being distant and unresponsive) and her more worried that her mother might grow hostile. She watched enough law enforcement TV shows to see how a drunk person acts when confronted about their problems, and the last thing she'd want is to make Maria strike at her.

Rita finally putting a stop to it proved her right as the Hispanic woman tried to engage in a physical bout with the Loud matriarch; though it looked more like a clumsy drunk trying their best to stay upright whilst throwing a haphazard punch that had little force behind it.

But the fact remained that, for the first and hopefully _ONLY_ time, Ronalda felt she was going to end up an orphan...

"-Didn't want to move if it could be helped..."

Ronnie Anne blinked as reality came back to her. "Huh?"

"...You know we wouldn't have moved if it could be helped, right?..."

The teen mulled in consideration. "M-Maybe..." She shrugged lightly. "I dunno..."

Maria sighed. "I really didn't like having to force you and Roberto into a new change of scenery; especially since you two had a lot of friends there..." She paused to wipe a stray tear before it fell. "It might be selfish on my part...but being in Royal Woods just became too painful for me to deal with. The bills piling up weren't helping, Roberto taking many jobs to help was...it was a little soothing, but not something I wanted him to bear..." She took a moment to gather her thoughts. "B-But without your father around..." Maria breathed in, which sounded uneven as if she was trying to keep herself from bawling. "I-I just wanted to get away from it all..." She glanced at Ronnie Anne. "But I couldn't leave you or Roberto behind..."

"Mom, I don't hate you for the move. "Ronnie Anne started, moving a hand to grasp her mother's. "I didn't want to leave Lincoln or my friends behind; but I also didn't want to stay in that house anymore..." Her frown deepened a little. "It sucked for the first few weeks. I love my cousins and all, but city life and starting school with a bunch of new people just felt awkward." A smile started to grow. "But then I met Sid, and Nikki, Casey, and Sameer. They can't replace the friends I still have in Royal Woods, but I'm still glad I met them. Plus, Bobby's adjusted well too since he's working the Mercado weekly."

Maria started to smile, her hand firming its grip around her daughter's. "And I'm glad you two got used to city life." She gave a light huff. "Personally, I still prefer living in the suburbs. It's quieter and peaceful." Her look soured a bit. "And _A LOT_ less traffic..." Ronnie Anne giggled. "And I still plan to have us return there some day. I don't mind living with my parents; but I'm also a grown woman who wants to live in her own house. And honestly, while I love my brother and Frida (she's like a sister)," Maria made a so-so movement with her hand. "But they can be a little..."

"Weird?"

"I was gonna go with eccentric, but that works." The nurse shrugged. "And speaking of which..." A frown took shape again, which made Ronalda grow a little worried. "...Do you plan on visiting him while you're there?..."

It didn't take a detective to know what Maria meant by _him_. On almost every visit to Royal Woods, Ronnie Anne made sure she visited the cemetery to spend a few moments at her father's grave. After the funeral, she couldn't bear to be within a few miles of the burial site due to the amount of pain she felt just looking at it. Not even when they moved from Royal Woods did she make a visit; though it ate at the young girl for months afterward. It got to a point that, during winter break that same year, Ronalda forced herself to go alone and see Marcus' grave.

A few minutes were spent having an awkward one-sided conversation before Ronnie Anne burst into tears telling the headstone how much she missed her father. Thankfully, she wasn't completely alone as Lori, Lincoln, and Bobby hid just out of sight. In fact, Bobby insisted on going with her, but the tomboy demanded that she face the task alone. The two Santiagos embraced each other silently for what seemed like hours before Bobby carried his sister back to the van before she caught a cold.

Since then, Ronnie Anne dealt with the visits better, sometimes even having one of her friends going with her if they felt she needed moral support. And to her shock, the tomboy realized one important fact: she and Bobby had time to visit their deceased father, but Maria never had the opportunity since the funeral. She was either too busy with work and now her classes to afford going anywhere, and the teen was now silently cursing herself for not even realizing it.

"Y-Yeah. Hopefully before we go to the resort."

"Well, when you do..." Maria dug into her pocket and pulled out a medium-sized brown locket. "I want you to give him this for me."

Ronalda raised a brow. "What is it?" She grabbed the circular end.

"It's an old photo of us when we were in our mid 20s." Ronnie Anne opened it, her eyes widening a little at the ridiculous poses her parents were making for the selfie. "This one in particular was taken before we had known I was pregnant with your brother."

A light chortle escaped the teen, but her heart warmed seeing both her parents happy. "Hold on." She squinted at the photo. "You guys went to the Grand Canyon?"

Maria nodded. "Only time we went. It was pretty hot that day, but the view was _gorgeous_!" The nurse squealed. "I hoped some day we could all go as a family..." A frown started to form as the absence of her husband became more obvious.

Ronnie Anne took a quick look back at the photo. "We still can." She told her mom as she snapped the locket shut. "It might not be the same without Dad, but that doesn't mean the rest of us can't go. W-We'd just have to plan it out."

"If I can catch a break, that would do me wonders..."

"You will Mom." Ronnie Anne smiled. "You will. And don't worry; I'll make sure Dad gets this as soon as we get to Royal Woods."

She also made a note to talk to Bobby, and maybe her cousins even, about how they could pull some strings to give Maria some time to R&R. The Grand Canyon definitely sounded like a fun trip; she'd never been there, but the pictures she occasionally found online were fantastic. However, the tomboy doubted such a trip would happen this summer, seeing as she'd be gone for six weeks and scheduling a flight and hotel on such short notice would be costly.

_"We'll figure it out. Sides, we helped Abuela and Abuelo make their anniversary trip."_

"Oooh thanks hija." Maria hugged her daughter again before letting go. "Now, you may want to hurry and finish packing. School might be over, but the morning traffic is still a nightmare."

Ronalda huffed. "I'm sure it is." She watched her mother exit the room for a moment before eyeing he locket. "And I'll make sure _you _are kept safe and sound until you reach Papi." The teen unzipped the top pocket of her suitcase and deposited the sacred treasure. Ronnie Anne would spend a few minutes to make sure she packed everything she needed before zipping the entire suitcase closed, then focused on getting her computer stuff ready.

* * *

As soon as Lincoln arrived back home, he set up about getting prepped for the rest of the day. Being that it was a few minutes til 8, his parents were already awake to greet him when he came through the door. Rita didn't stay long as she was going to pull more extra hours, and Lynn Sr. was busy making breakfast for everyone who had yet to awaken. Depositing his earnings inside the giant plastic jug the family used to build up cash for the trip, the Loud boy quickly made his way up the stairs, grabbing a fresh set of clothes from his room before fast-walking to the bathroom.

Though there were 3 bathrooms in the house, the only other shower aside from his parents' room remained upstairs; which meant the dreaded bathroom line still haunted the family to this day. And Lincoln was hoping some warm water might relax his tense muscles after that clumsy stunt from earlier. He made it to the oval office just as he heard another door open up behind him.

On any other day, Lincoln would've ignored the bathroom to grab whatever sleep his job made him miss. But he felt too energetic to let that bother him.

"Lori's coming back, _and _Ronnie and Sid are gonna hang for a while." He monologued to himself in a happy tone. "Lori said they'd be leaving kinda early to beat the traffic, but she didn't say when." Lincoln stripped out of his shrub and leaf covered clothes, eyeing his shirt for any cuts in the fabric. "Either way," He dumped the shirt on the floor, "They'll probably be here around noon." He slid out of his pants and undies, then turned the handle above the tub to get the water running.

He stuck his hand into the stream, waiting for it to get to a suitable temperature before stepping in. "Wonder what we can do first today..." Lincoln mulled in thought as he brushed dirt and twigs from his hair. "There's a couple new action movies that came out, and that new ride at Dairy Land." He squinted an eye in thought as he lathered soap across his body, only hissing a little when he brushed over a fresh cut. "Though what if everyone else wants to go? I mean, I wouldn't mind, but I'd prefer if it was just us two..."

"Already planning your date Romeo?" A feminine voice cut through his thoughts, making the white haired teen give a yelp, and nearly dropping the shampoo bottle he was holding.

Peeling the curtain back a little, he immediately drew it back as he found one of his sisters on the toilet; with her pajama bottoms down at her ankles. "Luna! C-Couldn't you hear the shower running?!" Lincoln yelled out of embarrassment.

"Oi, you try holding it in for five minutes." Luna folded her arms. "Sides, not like none of us haven't seen you in the buff before."

"Yeah, when I was in _diapers..._" Lincoln refuted.

"Either way," Luna grabbed some toilet paper. "I'll be done before you get out." She rolled it into a wad before sticking it into the bowl. "Makes the line go quicker."

Lincoln bit his cheek. "I guess..." Popping the cap, he squirted some shampoo directly into his follicles and started digging his fingers into his hair. "By the way, do you have any idea where Ronnie Anne and Sid are gonna sleep? I don't think we figured that out yet."

"They could hang in your room. Ya know, a stud like you havin' two lady friends in a room; alone, with the door locked." The musician smirked when she heard something drop onto the tub floor.

"Leave the innuendoes to Luan..." Came Lincoln's grumble. "Or don't. Either way, I'm not a perv..."

"Aw come on brah. You've handled jokes about your relationship this far; ain't like it's gonna..." Luna stopped for a second before clenching hard. She grunted as she pushed something out, letting it plop into the bowl. "Stop any time soon. But in all seriousness, they'll likely stay in mine and Luan's room for a week."

Lincoln raised a brow. "Why a week?"

"Gonna be chillin' at Sam's place while we do our next few gigs. Out of town stuff; and we're goin' _BIIIIIG!_" Luna sang the last few words. "Plus, it's better than sleeping on the couch or floor."

Lincoln leaned his head back to wash the shampoo out. "True."

"Although," Luna dragged out. "Your crib is still on the-" She stopped midsentence when a bar of soap flew out of the curtain towards her head. She laughed as she leaned a few inches to the side, causing the bar to make a loud bang against the wall. "Yeesh, why are you so defensive? We know it's gonna happen one day." The musician unfurled more toilet paper to wipe her mess before dumping it in the bowl.

The irate glare the younger teen had faded a little as he glossed over that last sentence. "One day..." He stuck his face into the water stream, keeping his eyes closed whilst running a hand down his face a few times to get rid of any excess shampoo or soap. "But when that happens I want to do it _without _you guys trying to help."

He heard the toilet flush for a moment before Luna answered with, "You'll still ask for help of ya need it though, right?" He could already see the smirk on her face through the curtain before he heard the faucet on the sink run.

"...I'll take a rain check on that."

The Loud boy glanced to the side as Luna stuck her hand in, holding the bar of soap he chucked at her. "Dropped this." He rolled his eyes before taking the bar.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The sudden noise made Lincoln jolt, making the bar slip out his hand and fall to the floor of the tub.

"Will you hurry it up in there?! I need to tinkle _urgently!"_

Lincoln came out of his startled trance and put on a stoic face. "She might not be beauty-obsessed, but Lola still has her fierce attitude." He muttered, picking up the bar and placing it on its pad.

"I heard that!" Lola screeched. "You try holding it in for twenty minutes!"

"She's got a point." Luna agreed. "Give me a sec, sis." She called out, drying her hands. The musician paused and turned her head towards the curtain when she heard the shower stop. "You done already?"

"Yep..." Lincoln's hand reached out from behind the curtain and grabbed the towel resting on the rack. "Thought I had enough time to change, but might as well do it in my room."

Luna shrugged before moving to open the door. No sooner did the barrier swing out did Lola push the door wide open and brush past her older sister, a pained look on her face as she covered her sensitive area in some faint attempt to hold her pee in. Lincoln drew the curtain back and stepped out the tub, his hair still wet with a towel wrapped at the waist.

Right when he grabbed his clothes, he felt someone pushing him from behind. "OUT-OUT-OUT!" The 8 year old demanded as she shoved her brother out the bathroom, slamming the door shut not a second later.

Lincoln glowered a little. "Nearly made my towel come off..." Using a hand to fix the waistline, Lincoln strolled towards his room.

A couple meters ahead, one of the bedroom doors opened. Lynn gave a tired yawn as she rubbed one of her eyes, getting rid of the dried skin that developed during the night.

"Hey Lynn." Lincoln greeted as he walked past.

"Hey..." She waved haphazardly, scratching at her side before looking towards the bathroom. Hearing Lola giving a content sigh as she relieved herself, the brunette groaned before heading downstairs.

Along the way down, her foot caught the edge of a step too early. Lynn gripped the railing hard as she felt gravity take hold of her body.

"Shit!" She yelled out instinctively, catching her footing two steps down.

"Junior?" The Loud patriarch called out as Lynn heard his footfalls below. As he poked his head from around the corner, "You ok?"

"Yeah..." Lynn planted a hand on the stairs and pushed herself up. "Just haven't fully woken up yet."

"You catch any Zs last night?"

"Um, yeah?" Lynn put a hand on her hip as a small glare formed. "Give me a break pops, I just got up..."

"Alright." Lynn Sr. shrugged before disappearing into the dining room. "Though I'd appreciate it if you didn't swear so openly like you did just now."

Junior rolled her eyes. Almost everyone in the house had done it at some point, parents included. Heck, if your were unfortunate enough, you'd hear the two getting it on in the bedroom with their dirty talk. Whether who did it the most was something Lynn couldn't tell you; though she suspected her mother found it the most alluring for...some reason...

Eh, forget it. What was she coming down for again?

A wave of pain rocked through Lynn's lower core, making her recoil with a groan as her abs tightened. Her intestines gurgled as she wrapped her arms around her waist, practically jumping down the steps and running into the dining room bathroom.

"Christ..." Lynn could be heard as she lifted the seat cover. "Two years on and I'm _still _getting bathroom pains!..."

* * *

_A few hours later..._

Lori sighed in content, idly glancing at the passing scenery. "It's good to be back home."

"You and me both." Carol nodded, keeping her focus on the road. "City life is ok, but I'm _definitely _gonna enjoy NOT waking up to a train every morning."

"Hah." Ronnie Anne huffed in amusement. "Have fun while it lasts, cause we gotta go back around the end of July."

"Hate to interrupt," Sid cut in, squirming a little in her seat with her hands over her bladder. "Are we gonna reach your house soon Lori? Cause I gotta go, _BAD!_"

Ronnie Anne frowned at her bestie. "Why didn't you go when we were at that rest stop?"

"I didn't need to go then!" Sid glared, starting to sweat a little. "Plus, you know how dirty those things are?"

"Well, you literally thought you'd die without that large drink you bought at McDonald's." Lori added.

"Hey!" The Asian girl pointed a finger at the back of Lori's seat. "Orange juice is good for your blood!"

Lori rolled her eyes, looking at the houses they passed. "Can you afford a few minutes? We're almost there."

"Mmmm...ugh..." Sid groaned, tightening the muscles of her bladder.

The quartet hit the road around 7, just beating the morning rush to the highway. Once they hit the interstate, it was pretty much smooth for the first two hours. They only stopped to get something to eat, as doing so closer to the city carried the risk of getting caught in slow traffic. Another 2 hours later and the sun was almost at the middle of its arc by the time they reached the Royal Woods City Limits.

Ronnie Anne glanced out the window as they passed through a neighborhood. All of the houses still remained the same during her last visit, with a couple 'For Sale' signs here and there. When they passed a road labeled 'Jefferson Way', Ronnie Anne bit her cheek. Although it was only for a few seconds, just a couple houses down from the entrance to the street, she spotted her old house. She heard from Lincoln that a family had bought the house last year, but seeing if every time made her feel a little funny. The tomboy couldn't tell whether it was longing, some kind of depression, or whatever the hell it was; maybe just seeing the place you had so many memories in made you feel like this.

_"...I hate this..." _The Santiago girl mulled to herself, folding her arms. _"Felt a little better being out of that place after Dad died, but I had like, SOOOO many fun times in there."_ She leaned against the window. _"I hope whoever has my old room didn't turn it into some girly paradise..."_

About five minutes later, making a turn on Franklin Avenue, the girls spotted a familiar and welcoming site. Sitting just a house away from the closest intersection, Lori's home stood in all its glory; if you didn't mind the chipping paint, a few roof shingles missing, and a freshly covered hole in the front yard.

"Welp, home sweet home." Lori stated happily as Carol pulled to a stop on the curb.

"Home away from home in our case," Ronnie Anne joked, pushing her door open. As she closed her eyes whilst leaning back to stretch her legs, she heard the door opposite from her seat open and shut within a split second. When she straightened herself, the Hispanic girl wasn't at all surprised to see a frantic Sid knocking profusely on the door.

"Coming, coming!" A masculine voice answered before the front door swung open. Lynn Sr., now dressed in his usual attire, looked at his eye level as he expected to be dealing with another salesman. He raised a brow when not only was there no sales person to run off, but there was a teenage girl looking like she needed the bucket.

"Sid?" The Loud patriarch asked.

"Doyouknowwherethebathroomis?!" Sid spoke quickly with a pained smile, her legs crossed and quaking like she had the chills.

"Um..." Lynn Sr. took a moment to pick apart her sentence before jerking a thumb to his left. "In the dining room on the right."

Sid nodded rapidly before squeezing past him. "THANKYOU!"

Momentarily being occupied by the bathroom door slamming shut, the man looked back out the door, immediately gaining a warm smile. "Well well well, look whose returned to the nest."

"Hey Dad." Lori hauled her suitcase up the front steps before hugging her father, who returned it in kind.

"Heya Mr. Loud!" Carol called from the driver seat.

"Mmmmm..." Ronnie Anne had lines of steam coming off her head, seeing as she had to tug both hers _and_ Sid's stuff from the car, on top of carrying a bag slung on her shoulder. "Told her we weren't stopping after that rest stop." She slammed the trunk shut, then pulled both suitcases behind her. Putting her irritation to the side, "How's it hangin' Mr. Loud?" She greeted with a smile.

"I'd say I'm hanging like a fresh peach on a tree now that you guys are here." The father joked with a chuckle. Lori gave an awkward laugh, though Ronalda stuck her tongue out at the poor joke.

"I'd stick around, but I gotta get back to my own place." Carol shouted before shifting gears. "Later girls!" She waved out the window before driving off.

"See ya tomorrow Carol!" Lori called after her before turning back to her father. "So, is Mom home?"

"Nope." Lynn Sr. shook his head. "She pulling more extra hours today. And speaking of which," The Loud patriarch pulled out a chef hat. "Your old man needs to get down to the restaurant for the lunch rush!" He spoke as he placed it on his head. After Ronalda pulled the luggage inside, he started stepping out. "Why don't you three go and enjoy yourselves? That ride must've been a killer for the leg muscles."

Lori shrugged. "Kinda used to it. The traffic in the city is literally a _nightmare..._"

"Still, don't want those quads going bad on ya." Lynn replied before closing the door.

A pair of footsteps were making their way downstairs. "I thought I recognized those voices from anywhere." The pair turned to see Luna carrying a duffel bag in one hand with her axe strapped to her back. "Sup sis."

"Hey Luna." The two sisters hugged.

"Sup dudette." Luna extended a fist out to Ronnie Anne, who responded by bumping it with her own.

"You heading out for band practice again?" The oldest sibling surmised.

"That's half the story." Putting a hand on her hip, "Gonna be chillin' at Sam's for a week while we go around on tour around the area."

Lori raised a brow. "You're leaving already?!" She put on a faux pout. "But I just got heeeeere!..." Her shoulders sulked as she whined.

Luna chortled. "Ah don't be like that." She waved dismissively. "I already told ya days ago."

"I know." Lori smiled. "Still haven't see you in months."

"Oh you'll see a lot more of this," The musician gestured to herself, "When we go on that road trip soon."

"Not doubting that." Lori put a hand on her hip. "Soooo is anyone else home?" She looked around. "I'm a little surprised I didn't get dogpiled at the door."

Luna began counting off her fingers. "Luan's downstairs doin' laundry, Lisa's in her room, I have no idea where Lucy is; she still got that disappearing act man." Luna uttered the last part in a whisper. "Lana and Lily are playing around out back," She smiled and pointed at Ronnie Anne, who paused at the sudden attention whilst slipping her shoes off. "And this girl's boyfriend is watching over them."

The tomboy met the smirks on their faces with a deadpan. "If you're trying to get a reaction, that doesn't work anymore." She slid her foot back into her shoe. "Me and Link already got past that stage FYI."

"You were gonna ask anyway." Luna teased before looking towards Lori. "Also, Leni's clocking in a few hours today. Lola went with her to pick out a couple dresses for this pageant she has coming up."

Lori narrowed an eye. "What about Lynn? How's she been doing lately?" Ronnie's interesting grew after that question was asked.

Luna hummed in thought. "She's been doing alright; as far as not talking to herself and all that. She went out running a little after breakfast, so she ought to be back soon."

Lori sort of hoped there was something other than the usual bit of news she got when it came to Lynn. The brunette herself wasn't much of an open book these days, and Lori never stopped worrying about her wellness since the incident two years back. But, there wasn't much she could do about it now.

"Well then." Lori grabbed the handle of her suitcase. "I'm gonna unpack." She started towards the stairs as she glanced at Luna. "Just make sure you don't get too frisky with Sam."

Luna's face turned a light crimson as her eyes went wide. "Pfff." She rolled her eyes. "Can't be as much as the many times you and Bobby did it."

"Touche."

Ronalda scrunched her face in disgust. "I don't need to hear this..." She turned and reopened the front door before stepping out.

She closed it before any of the two girls could've asked where she was heading. If the question was "Don't you wanna see your boyfriend?", um yes, she still did. However, the tomboy had a different approach in mind. If Lincoln was in the yard, then he'd spot her easily if she came out the back door. A grin spread across her face. She didn't want it to be obvious; it was much more fun surprising him. And she felt certain neither Luna nor Lori would spoil this for her.

Sneaking around the side of the house, Ronalda stopped where the siding met the chain link fence that surrounded the backyard. Gripping the corner, she poked her head out just enough to get a clear view. She immediately picked up movement and focused in on Lana and Lily playing some kind of fantasy game; Lana was pretending to be a dragon whilst Lily was wearing cardboard as armor with a toy sword in her hand. Charles was, for better or worse, acting as the horse.

"Awwww." Ronalda cooed at the cute scene. But, that wasn't what she was looking for. "Now where is-" She stopped upon finally spotting her prey. "Bingo." She grinned. "Guess I could've went through the door anyway."

Some 20 feet away, Lincoln was on a lawn chair extended in the full flat position with a comic book covering his face. Both hands were behind his head, making the Santiago girl assume he was taking a nap. Being as quiet as possible, she climbed over the fence and started to tiptoe towards him. Lana jumped towards Lily as she made a not-very-convincing roar, only to stop short as she spotted the teen girl creeping towards her brother. Lana was about to shout a greeting, but Ronnie Anne immediately put a finger on her lips as a way of asking her to keep quiet.

Both girls looked towards Lincoln, then back to Ronnie Anne, then mirrored her gesture. Ronnie gave a wink and continued her sneaking until she was right behind Lincoln's chair. Lincoln's chest rose and fell smoothly, and Ronnie could hear the breaths he took through his nose.

_"This is almost too easy."_ Ronnie Anne giggled to herself as she leaned on the chair with one hand until her face was right above Lincoln's. Using the other hand, "Lincoln..." She whispered affectionately as she lightly tapped the side of his head.

He didn't stir, only drawing in a deeper breath as he rested.

"Lincoln." She tapped him again.

"Mmmm..." Lincoln groaned as his eyes opened under the covering. Removing a hand from behind his head, he grabbed the comic and slid it down to his chest. He expected to be temporarily blinded by the midmorning sun, but his vision was immediately darkened again as something moved down towards his face. The sleep from his eyes was immediately forgotten as they opened up to their maximum size upon the boy feeling another pair of lips on his.

Lana and Lily squealed in joy, making Charles fold his ears onto his head.

Upon breaking the kiss after a few seconds, Ronalda leaned up so she could grin at the perplexed Loud. "Morning sleepy head~~"

It took Lincoln a minute to get his mind working again to realize his girlfriend was standing over him. His cheeks reddened as he said, "H-Hey Ronnie Anne." He finished with an awkward smile that made the Latina laugh.

"That never gets old!"

Lincoln chortled a little before sitting up straight. The girl hugged him tightly, which he returned in kind. "When'd you guys get here?"

"Just now." She released him before taking a spot next to the boy. "Didn't think you'd be asleep at this hour."

"_Normally _I wouldn't; in fact I wasn't all that tired earlier. But I still got that paper route to do." He raised his arms to stretch their muscles. "Guess sitting in the sun made it catch up."

"Hi Ronnie Anne!" Lily shouted once she got within arms reach, hugging the older girl around the leg.

"Sup Lilybug." The tomboy leaned down and hoisted the toddler up.

"DOGPILE!" Lana shouted before she and Charles jumped onto Ronalda's chest.

Lincoln recoiled in surprise as the Latina let out a yelp due to being knocked off balance. Her upper back hit the opposite side of the chair, kicking her legs upward; she had to grab the edge to avoid tumbling over completely.

"I missed you guys too." Ronalda managed to say with what little air remained in her lungs, wrapping them all in a hug.

"This has gotta be the cutest thing I've ever seen." Sid stated with a grin, coming down the back steps.

"Heya Sid." Lincoln greeted, putting his hand out.

"Fancy meeting ya Mr. Loud." Sid grinned as she took his hand into her own and shook it. "Didn't think Ronnie Anne was good with kids."

The tomboy rolled her eyes. "Only the ones I actually like." Lana and Lily released her as she sat up, with Charles still sitting on her lap as she petted him. "You know how difficult it is looking after Carlitos."

"Until you taught him how to speak." Sid replied as she leaned on the chair.

Lincoln developed a knowing smirk. "Plus, you kept going past the maternity ward to look at the babies while Lynn was healing."

Ronalda pursed her lips. "And? Babies are cute. We all know that."

"Really." The Chang girl chuckled. "Maybe you were thinking of having one of your own one day?"

Both Lincoln and Ronalda clammed up blood rushed to their cheeks.

"So am I gonna be an Aunt one day?" Lana asked, scratching at her cheek. "I bet I could teach my nephew or niece a thing or two about maintenance."

"But," Lily turned to the couple. "Wouldn't you guys need to get married first?"

_"Great...she HAD to get them started..."_ Both Lincoln and Ronalda thought in unison.

"Lana." Lincoln began with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Don't you have a new pet you wanted to show Sid?"

"New pet?" The young plumber raised a brow. Her eyes brightened a second later. "Oh yeah!" She said whilst snapping her fingers before grabbed Sid's hand and started to lead her towards the house. "You _gotta _see El Diablo's daughter. I paired him up with a friend's constrictor, and she hatched two months ago."

Lily frowned. "But I wanna slay the dragon!" The baby of the family made a pouty face as she crossed her arms.

Seeing the dilemma they faced, Sid opted for a compromise. "Tell ya what: how about _I_ play the dragon," She gestured towards herself, "And you two," She pointed at the kids, "Have to take me down."

Lana frowned a little, seeing as her new baby would have to wait. But, she was quite bored of being the dragon for nearly two hours. Giving a shrug, "I'm game."

"Yay!" Lily cheered with her arms raised high.

Lana took the opportunity to hoist Lily onto her shoulders, with Sid moving to grab the towel and fake dragon head the 8 year old was using. Humerously, it was a bit small on her, but she made it work. Charles decided to climb down from Ronnie Anne, stopping for a moment to scratch an itch behind his ear with one of his hind legs before trotting towards the house.

"...I hope he didn't have fleas..." The tomboy stated with a concerned look on her face.

"Nah." Lincoln waved his hand dismissively. "I bathe him in anti-tick shampoo on the regular."

Ronnie shrugged before leaning back, placing her hands behind her to support herself. "Seems you're still the Man With The Plan." She spoke whilst watching Sid and the two little Louds play around.

"Honestly," Lincoln gave a wry smile. "Sid joining them was just a fluke." He eyed her shirt. "I'm guessing you were planning to surprise me like that since this morning?"

Ronalda glanced down, her attire having the SMOOCH logo on the front with names of all the band members on the back. "Not really." She shrugged. "I only threw this on because it was one of the few things I hadn't packed yet.

Lincoln gave a humorous huff. "If you say so." He momentarily watched as Lana and Lily overpowered Sid and began to 'decapitate' her. "Soooo, you wanna go out later?"

"Hmm?" Ronalda looked towards him with a brow raised. She frowned a little as she remembered the suitcases piled at the front door. Looking away, "Crap, I still gotta unpack..." She glanced at the Loud. "Where are we gonna sleep by the way?"

Lincoln immediately recalled the words Luna said earlier, shaking his head a little. _"Waaay too soon to be thinking about that..."_ Drumming his fingers on the chair, "You and Sid will be using Luna and Luan's room for a little while. Luna's gonna be at Sam's for a week, and Luan practically gave an arm and a leg to stay at Benny's."

Ronalda nodded. "Luna said that when we came in." She looked towards the house, eyeing where she believed the two performer's room was. "I hope Luan didn't leave a 'gift' in her bed for us..."

"I doubt she does stuff like that anymore." Lincoln replied. "April was pretty low key this year." He winced a little as he gave an offhanded stare. "Though I think we went a little overboard with all the pranks we did to each other."

Ronalda chortled. "Those pictures you sent made me question if World War 3 broke out in your house." She paused for a moment. "And to answer your question," The Latina smiled warmly at him. "I'd love to. However..." Her smile was lost as a neutral look took its place. "There's something important I gotta do first..."

Lincoln felt an uncomfortable pressure filling his chest. "What is it?"

Ronalda sighed, leaning forward and clasping her hands together. "It involves my Dad..."

Lincoln mouthed an "Oh" in understanding. It was nearly impossible to forget Ronalda's reaction to her first visit to the gravesite. He even feared she'd regress back into her shell like she had the weeks after her father's unfortunate passing. Fortunately, the Santiago girl was more communicative than expected; though it still took a few days before her usual demeanor returned.

"Want me to come with?..."

"Nah." Ronalda stood up. "I can handle it on my own now. Plus, it's something promised to do for Mom."

* * *

After getting their stuff settled in their temporary room, Ronalda set out towards the cemetery. It was a bit of a ways from the house, being a 15 minute walk. Getting there wasn't difficult; in fact it would've been quick if she took her skateboard or asked to borrow someone's bike. Instead, the Santiago girl opted to walk; it gave her more time to reflect on things, which was hard to do on either modes of transport unless she wanted to crash into something.

Every few moments, Ronalda would feel her pocket to make sure the locket hadn't slipped out. She already checked them for holes, but in this case, she felt better being a little paranoid than regret it later. Satisfaction sated for the time being, the tomboy lifted her head up, closing her eyes as a fresh breeze hit her face.

"I miss stuff like this..." The tomboy mused. "Don't know if it's just me, but it definitely feels cooler out here; even though it's low 80s right now."

She passed by the park, glancing absently towards the citizens who were out enjoying their day. Pleasant memories ran through her head, some recent while others were long ago. The park in Great Lakes City might have its charm, but it still couldn't beat the fun memories the Latina had growing up here. She caught a glimpse of sandbox near the playground, spotting a couple of young kids trying to build a castle.

Ronnie may not have had many friends when she was a toddler, but she could always count on her brother to make her happy. "And here I thought Bobby being who he is now was embarrassing." She chortled, looking up at the sky. "Mom talks about it a lot," Her head tilted to the side. "Though I still can't remember when I tried to distance myself from him." She twirled the end of her ponytail with a finger. "Must've been when I was trying 'change my image' after that fight in 4th grade." Focusing back on her sense of direction as she rounded a corner, "Although...I wonder if Lincoln would've been into me if I was more..." She cringed as chill went up her spine. "Girly..."

While she considered her change in attitude years ago as her being 'a bit silly', it was hard to imagine herself looking like...Cristina in a general sense appearance wise. Hell would freeze over before she would act like one of those pompous bitches from 3rd grade however. And she'd rather shoot herself long before that happened.

Ronalda started to frown as she passed by the a particular section of fence that lined the perimeter next to some tall bushes. There were no signs of lasting damage, and the blood that had been spilt that day had been washed away by the rains long ago.

She ran her fingers along the fence as she walked, feeling the subtle vibrations as the digits bounced along the metal pillars. "Even if those jerks were stronger...I wish I had a chance to put up a better fight..." Putting her hands in her pockets, Ronnie Anne held her head low as she moved away from the park.

After ten minutes of silently passing through town, the Santiago girl stopped at an open archway bordered by barred fence posts. _Greater Royal Woods Cemetery _was cast in iron and embedded in stone at the top of the entrance, with the entrance itself being wide enough for a hearse to fit through. From there, one can see the many headstones lining the dirt road that led deeper into the resting place for the deceased.

Ronnie sighed. Every time she got here, vivid memories of the procession for her father's funeral loved to make themselves known; even if she had gotten somewhat comfortable with the infrequent visits. The young teen sniffled a little as she blinked back a few tears, then breathed in deeply before walking into the burial grounds. Her eyes floated over headstones and placards embedded in the ground, only reading the birth and death dates; she didn't give too much thought about people's names, and most of the dates were well before those of her parents.

Somewhere towards the middle of the cemetery, Ronalda stopped and turned towards a headstone carved out of granite. Her lips pursed and eyes became wet as she read the name and epitaph.

_Marcus R. Santiago _

_March 26, 1972 - November 5, 2017_

_Loving husband, father, brother, and son. Lived a good life, but was taken too soon._

Around the base of the headstone were some bouquets of flowers that were either wilting or dead, along with some photos that had been dirtied and torn after months of being exposed to the elements. When it came to doing stuff like this, Ronnie's main concern was someone being callous enough to steal from a grave. Even with the low crime rate in the city, she took little comfort in that the gifts were easy pickings for any lowly individual.

"Hey D-Dad, it's me again..." Ronalda started, her shifting foot carving a small path in the dirt. "Just got into town, and I'm gonna be around for half the summer. Wish it could be longer, but I still have to go back to the city..." She gripped at her sleeves. "It's still not _too_ bad living there; but it's still less crowded and less noisy here in Royal Woods." The tomboy sighed. "Hate to give bad news, but we won't be back by the end of the year...Mom needs a couple more years of training before she's ready. I'm not holding that against her, but..." She felt a weird pressure starting to fill her chest, making her pause to gather her thoughts.

"It...it just sucks. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for all the friends I've made there, but it still doesn't feel like...like being in a _real _home..." She pouted whilst crossing her arms. "Though I guess you wouldn't call a 3 bedroom apartment a house anyway..." The tomboy dropped her arms to her sides, a groan leaving her as she stared at the sky. "I still wish things would go back to normal; or as normal as it could get. I'm almost jealous of Lincoln on that; he managed to make things up with his family and at least gets some comfort, but then we get sacked with..." She stuck her arms out for a moment before they dropped. "This...and on top of that, I have to worry about my relationship possibly tanking because of the distance, and my body growing in ways that's making me feel weird. Mom's definitely gonna be a big help on that," Ronnie shoved her hands into her pockets again, looking back at the tombstone. "But still..."

Her fingers felt around the locket in her pocket, soon gripping the golden body as she whipped it out. "But speaking of Mom," The teen opened it, keeping her gaze focused on the picture. "She wanted me to give you this. I doubt I can figure out how much this means to her," She said whilst closing it. "But you guys looked super happy during your trip. She also told me you guys planned for us to go there some day (that's pretty bust now...) but I told Mom we'd figure that out some day." Ronnie managed a tiny smile. "Not only that, b-but I want to bring Mom here to see you too." Her balance shifted due to stacking her weight more on one leg. "She hasn't been here since the funeral...and I know she's still hurting like I was months back...that's why I want to bring her here so she could at least have some closure. Me and Bobby already do, and it'll be good for her too..."

Ronnie Anne stood in silence for a few moments, letting a few stray tears fall from her face before the wind blew them away. Giving a sigh, "Nothing like talking to a tombstone...I bet if someone came by, they'd think I'm crazy..."

"Actually..." A younger, monotonous voice joined in.

"AAAAAAH!" Ronalda shrieked with a jump. Her arms flailed until her brain overrode her instincts, and upon realizing she threw the locket into the air, she quickly grabbed it after a few slips. Her head turned so quickly towards the intruder that the end of her ponytail smacked her eye. Giving a growl of irritation as she rubbed stray hair out of the socket, her one good eye focused on the person who disturbed her.

It widened after she realized it was the gothic sibling of the Louds. "It's very heartwarming that you're visiting him, even if his spirit is has passed on."

"What are you doing here, Lucy?" Ronnie asked, blinking her left eye until its vision cleared.

"Paying my respects to Geo #4..." Lucy replied, gazing sadly at the ground.

"Geo?..." Ronnie scratched her head. Realization of the owner of said name hit her not a second too late. "Ooooh, your hamster. How'd he die again?"

"Hawk grabbed him when we let him out of his ball at the resort last year. We got him back," The 10 year old's gaze darkened. "But we were too late..."

Ronalda gave a solemn nod. "I sort of remember Lincoln mentioning it, but he didn't say much." Her foot tapped the ground, feeling a bout of awkwardness setting in. "Did...did you guys think about getting a new hamster?"

"It was a tempting thought." Lucy stared at the teen. "But after the last three, we decided it was best to let Geo rest in peace." She looked in the direction she had came from. "We probably wouldn't have had a 4th Geo if Lana hadn't found him; she was the most devastated." Looking back at Ronnie Anne, her focus shifted towards the Latina's hands. "What's that?"

Ronnie Anne looked down. "A locket from my Mom to give to Dad." She opened it and showed Lucy the picture. "It has this photo of them when they were at the Grand Canyon some years ago."

Lucy silently studied the picture. "Young love that's matured into something more," She clutched the area over her heart. "Only to be cruelly ripped away by an outside force..."

Ronnie Anne frowned with a disapproval look. "Don't remind me..." She closed the locket.

"Sorry." Lucy clasped her hands behind her back. "It's a good offering though. I'm sure he'll like it."

The tomboy turned towards the headstone and knelt at the base. "I'm sure he will too..." Not wanting something that looked expensive to be visible, Ronnie dug up a few clumps of dirt with her hand. Once she felt the hole was deep enough, she planted the locket inside and buried it.

"I'll always love you Dad..." Ronalda spoke softly, matting down the freshly laid dirt before standing up.

Sticking her hands into her now empty pockets, Ronnie Anne turned and started walking back up the path with Lucy close behind her. The Santiago girl had to remind herself a few times the Loud was a few paces back; her footsteps were so damn quiet...

As they reached the entrance, the tomboy raised a brow upon seeing Lincoln and Sid waiting for them. They didn't notice their approach as they were chatting to each other. She was about to question how they got there, though once she could see past the brick wall, she saw a bike and a pair of skates.

More importantly, "What are you guys doing here?" Ronalda asked. Sid cut herself off as she turned towards the two, with Lincoln flinching a little whilst keeping an arm behind his back. The tomboy narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Whatcha hidin' back there?"

"W-Well, it's-" Lincoln stammered out, nearly losing his voice.

"Come on man!" Sid cried out, nudging him with her elbow. "You missed your chance giving them to her earlier, why are you going into your shell now?"

Lincoln gave Sid the stink eye. "I already told you it wasn't the right time for it!"

Ronalda looked at them quizzically. "What are you talking about? And what do you mean by _them_?"

Lincoln sucked in a breath. "These." He removed his hand from behind his back, and what Ronalda saw made her go wide-eyed. A bouquet of roses was held up in his hand for the world to see. "I was gonna give these to you when you guys first got here." Lincoln smiled nervously, his cheeks forming a faint tint of red. "But then you said you had to go to the cemetery and I didn't think it was the best time..."

Ronalda gently grabbed the flowers, her fingers gracing his for a few seconds. She took a small whiff, noting they were the real deal and not those cheap plastic ones you see at a flower shop. "Yeah, it would've been nice to have them earlier." Sid smirked whilst Lincoln deadpanned at the Asian. "Buuuut," Ronalda smiled at her boyfriend. "It's just what I needed after coming here." She wrapped her arms around Lincoln's shoulders before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks..."

The white-haired teen smiled whilst putting a hand around her waist.

"You sure seemed focused on hounding Lincoln over that." Lucy replied, glancing at Sid.

"What can I say?" Sid folded her arms, phone in hand as she snapped a picture. "I like seeing my bestie happy."

"So where'd you get these from?" Ronalda asked, now only having one arm around Lincoln's shoulders as she inspected the flora.

"Mr. Grouse." Lincoln shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Grouse?" The Santiago girl chortled. "How'd you manage to snag these without pissing him off?"

"He just gave 'em to me after I said I wanted to get a gift for you." He omitted the part as to what led to him getting them, and hoped she didn't ask.

Ronalda chuckled. "Really. Did it have anything to do with the band-aid on your face?" She asked, poking the wrap sticking to his right cheek.

Lincoln deflated a little, knowing he couldn't just lie to her. So much for not asking. "I crashed into his bushes this morning during my route."

Both girls giggled a little; Lucy only smiled ever so slightly.

"Alright." Ronnie shook the bouquet in her hand. "Let's get these in some water before they die." As Lincoln parted from her to get his bike ready, the Santiago looked at Sid. "Think you can carry Lucy back?"

"Psssh." Sid waved her hand in a coy manner. "That'll be easy."

Lincoln leaned in towards Ronnie Anne. "You know Sid can't skate that well, right?" He whispered, watching as Sid put her skates on.

"She's had some practice." The Latina shrugged. "Can't be that bad."

"I think she needs more," Lincoln held up a rope. "Since she held onto this while I pedaled here."

Lucy stared at Sid, who was now wobbling around as she struggled to maintain her balance on both skates. Her visible eye winced. "Have you done this before?"

"Come on..." Sid stuck her tongue out before finally planting both stoppers on the ground. "Gotcha!" Looking towards the goth, "I've got this in the bag. Just hop on!" She pointed at her back.

Lucy didn't look convinced. "You sure?..." She had a brow raised.

Sid gave a thumbs up, never dropping her smirk. "Positive!"

Lucy sulked a little. "Sigh. It's our funeral then."

Sid might've been prepared to carry the brooding 10 year old, but she didn't expect Lucy to make a running start. The animal lover widened her eyes in horror as the goth got closer. "Wait wait wait, slow down-" The moment Lucy made contact and clung to her back, Sid inadvertently rose up to compensate for the girl's weight, coming off her stoppers as they rolled forward. Sid screamed in terror whilst Lucy gave an unenthusiastic, bland shriek of her own, not once changing from her dull stare.

Lincoln watched as the two rolled away. "We should do something, right?" He turned his head to Ronnie Anne, whom was sitting on the aft end of the seat with a hand to her mouth as she suppressed a fit of giggles.

She stopped after noticing the disapproving look she was getting. "Aw don't worry Link, they'll be fine. I taught Sid first and foremost how to keep her balance; plus we practiced with our bookbags." The tomboy stated with confidence. "Sides, there's an uphill slope just ahead that'll stop them if Sid can't hit the breaks."

Lincoln rolled his eyes, kicking the bike stand up. "If you say so."

They would later come across the duo near the section of road that started to go uphill, with Lucy hanging from a low tree branch and Sid orbiting around a lamp post with one hand on the base as she tried to slow herself down. Needless to say, Lincoln had to put pedal to the metal just to get everyone home.

What a great start to summer vacation.

**A/N: Now that the girls have arrived, the question of the matter asks what antics they'll get into during their stay. Not to mention, we'll see some bonding between Ronnie and Lynn; Sid might or might not get jealous about it.**


End file.
